The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof Lilian
Salami, on Wednesday, says the school management is ready to resume academic
activities in a safe and secure manner.
She said the university management will enforce strict
compliance to COVID-19 protocols to protect students and members of staff from
being exposed to coronavirus infections.
The vice-chancellor spoke while featuring on NTA Good
Morning Nigeria breakfast show.
Salami said some students have started issuing threats to
beat up lecturers should the closure of public universities persists.
Students of public universities have been at home since
March 2020 when the Academic Staff Union of Universities began a
nine-month-long strike over certain demands. The union, however, conditionally
suspended the industrial action on December 24, 2020, after a lot of
foot-dragging by lecturers and the Federal Government.
Yet, when students were hopeful of returning to classrooms,
the country entered the second wave of the pandemic while the Presidential Task
Force on COVID-19 subsequently ordered schools to remain closed till January
18, 2021 to contain the spike in COVID-19 infections in Nigeria.
Recall that ASUU insisted that it is
not safe for lecturers and students to return to classrooms as it cannot
guarantee social distancing in crowded classes and congested hostels.
Reacting on the television programme on Wednesday, the
UNIBEN vice-chancellor said the school authority will do all in its power to
enforce COVID-19 protocols in the university community.
Salami said, “I want to say categorically that
Vice-Chancellors are responsible persons having gone through the furnace. We
will not in any way want to expose our staff, our students to any danger.
“Having said that, public-funded universities are far from
what they ought to be. We have said this over and over that there is poor
funding, infrastructure are down and decayed. The ratio of staff to students is
quite large that for proper learning to take place, we have to address these
issues.
“We know that these issues exist but how long are we going
to wait until these issues are taken care of? These should not continue to be
used as reasons why schools should not reopen. We will make do with what we
have now available. For instance, we know that residential students are about
10 to 15 per cent of total students’ population. We will as much as possible
enforce compliance and that is all we can do.
“Yes, they (students) are very restless; yes, they will want
to go and visit friends but we will try as much as possible – and I think all
Vice-Chancellors will do that – to protect our students and our staff so that we
don’t unduly expose them to COVID-19. But to think that if all of these are not
taken care of, we will not reopen, I can assure you that in the next ten years,
the kids will all be home.
“We know all these deficiencies and we will continue to
adjust and renovate the structures on campus. It is a gradual thing, there is
no magic about it.
“On a lighter note, I have heard some students say, look, if
you don’t open, we will beat up the Vice-Chancellors and start beating up the
lecturers. Maybe other Vice-Chancellors can take up the beatings but I can
assure you that Professor Salami is too fragile to be beaten.”
The vice-chancellor further said that UNIBEN has started the
production of automated handwashing equipment, hand sanitisers and other
materials crucial in dealing with the pandemic.
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