The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has reiterated its opposition to the reopening of schools, as it warned the Federal Government not to gamble with the lives of poor Nigerians.
Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, speaking on Channels TV’s programme ‘Sunrise Daily’, warned the Federal Government not to gamble with the health of its citizens.
Ogunyemi stated that some government-run schools, which are expected to reopen, lack fences and other vital mechanisms to prevent and manage any potential outbreak among the students.
“What we are trying to do now is a crash model – an experimental approach. We want to experiment with the lives of poor Nigerians – children of the poor,” he said.
“Many of us in my bracket, maybe middle class, our children don’t fall into that category. And that is probably why we cannot appreciate why we need to do the basic minimum.
“Are we saying that we should open schools without decontaminating the schools? For a government that could go openly to decontaminate streets, to decontaminate markets?
“Are lives in the schools not as valuable as those on the streets? We need to do the basic minimum. It’s not about income for teachers or workers here. It’s about what we need to avert disaster.”
”We are not seeing any concrete steps being taken about meeting their own (FG’s) conditions. The timing is there but if they (government) say they are convinced, we hold them to that.
“We have seen other places where they are opening schools and we have also seen other places where they are even delaying opening schools till August and September.
“Nigeria should not take a gamble with the health of its citizens, That’s why we are warning that if they believe that they’re convinced, we’ll hold them to that but let them meet their own conditions.
“These public schools they are talking about many of them are without fences. How do they monitor children coming into the schools? How much of COVID-19 prevention do they have?”
