COVID-19: Re-Open Varsities, Face The Consequence- ASUU Tells FG
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned the Federal Government to be ready for any possible negative consequences following its plan to Re-open tertiary institutions closed due to the spread of the global Coronavirus pandemic.
Addressing a Press Conference, Monday at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, the union maintained that reopening of tertiary institutions without taking concrete steps to address issues within the universities would be suicidal.
Reading the text of the Conference, Professor Olusiji Sowande who is the Coordinator of Lagos Zone of the Union, maintained that it is not enough to have the students back on campuses but that the atmosphere and conditions must also be right.
According to the Union, hostel accommodation are inadequate, no facility on ground to carry out physical distancing in large and crowded classes, adding that water and electricity supply were not reliable in the universities.
The Union maintained that years of neglect of both education and health sectors in the country has resulted in inadequate infrastructure and lack of well equiped diagnostic, testing, treatment and research laboratories in both sectors.
The Union said, “The response of the public universities to the call by the National University Commission for their readiness to reopen indicated that public universities are not ready.
“Presently, hostel accommodations are inadequate, no facility on ground to carry out physical in large and crowded classes, water and electricity supply are not reliable etc.
“Reopening tertiary institutions without taking concrete steps to address these issues would be suicidal. While government made arrangements for special bail out funds for airline operators and other private entities, no such arrangement was made for public universities. Therefore, government should be ready to take responsibility for any possible negative consequences after reopening of universities.”
On the controversial Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, the Union said that its software, University Transparency and Accountability Solution, was ready, adding that it’s efficacy had been demonstrated to the education Ministry and National University Commission.
The Union said it was ready to present the UTAS to appropriate authorities for further validation, adding that it recognises all agreements entered into between the government and university-based unions.
The Union also called on the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to facilitate physical meeting where the software and other issues would be sorted out.
