Their actions followed the federal government’s compliance with some of ASUU’s demands and the inauguration of a new committee on Wednesday headed by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with the union.Some university top officials in separate interviews with LEADERSHIP Friday said they initiated preparations for the re-opening of the institutions so as not to keep students at home any longer once ASUU calls off its strike.
At the University of Abuja, towards the gate of the permanent site, one could see hand hygiene facilities installed among other protocols. However, the biggest challenge is how to control the number of students in hostels and classes when they return to campus, given the large population in most of the universities.
He said there is a subcommittee on enforcement in the university which is made up of well trained staff who know what it means and how to enforce the protocols. The Dean of Student Affairs of the university, Dr Abubakar Umar Kari, said the NUC earlier sent all universities a memo on the level of preparedness so each university was asked some questions and then given options.
The spokesperson of the Federal University of Agriculture, Màkurdi, Mrs Rosemary Waku, said if ASUU calls off the strike, the university senate would convene immediately to decide on anything that needs to be done to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Institution. In Jos, the deputy registrar, information and public affairs, Abdulahi Abdulahi, said the university was fully prepared to re-open.
The chairman University of Lagos chapter of ASUU, Dele Ashiru, said; “There is really nothing on ground to suggest that the university is prepared to comply fully with the COVID-19 protocols. And to the best of my knowledge, no fund has been allocated to the university to control COVID-19 as the community has not been informed of the receipt of such funds, and that has been part of ASUU’s agitations too.
Others, including the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Madonna University, Elele and Pamo University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, resumed academic activities immediately after the federal government directed the re-opening of tertiary institutions in the country.
The management of the University of Ilorin said it had also put in place some COVID-19 safety protocols ahead of resumption.