COVID-19: It’s suicidal to reopen schools now, says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has kicked against the proposed reopening of schools by the federal government amid the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the country.

In an interview with NAN on Monday, Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU president, said the federal government should address challenges facing the education sector before it can talk of reopening schools.

Ogunyemi also urged the government to take the lead by meeting the conditions put in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before reopening schools.

“The federal government must lead and show the ways by meeting the conditions for reopening of schools before any school can be allowed to open, because COVID-19 pandemic is a health challenge,” he said.

“When it comes to public health, it is something that should not be left in the hands of individual, but the Federal Government must take the lead.”

The ASUU president said it is puzzling that the federal government is considering reopening schools when they do not have financial capacities to meet the conditions by the NCDC.

“It is suicidal to reopen schools now, if the federal government itself could not meet the conditions spelt out by NCDC and World Health Organisation (WHO). The nation will expose the innocent children to risks which is avoidable,” he said.

Ogunyemi also appealed to the government to provide the running funds for the principals and head teachers so that they could provide some of the required facilities in their schools before reopening them.

He added that inadequate funds by many parents would hinder them from providing some of these amenities needed for reopening of schools.

The ASUU president said the federal government also need to tell Nigerians the steps they intended to take in reopening schools.