Professor Kayode Soremekun, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), has warned against hasty reopening of tertiary institutions in the country.
Soremekun, who is rounding off his tour of duty as a Vice Chancellor, argued that Covid-19 is still very much alive in Nigeria.
Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the launch of a book, Campus Security Management, Insight from the Front liners, written by Paul Ogidi, the university administrator said although he was in support of the resumption of schools, particularly the universities, great emphasis must be given to safety.
“We are in a salad of issues, salad in the sense that we are in the Covid phenomenon. If you look carefully we are yet to fully be in the post-Covid era,” he said.
“When you look at the comparative dynamics you will discover that in some countries where they opened up, there was a resurgence.”
Soremekun noted that the government has to be careful on the issue, especially with the strike by the industrial unions which is not in any way simplifying the problem.
“We also have at the moment the evolving reality of the NLC strike, so I think we should all just take things as they are,” he added.
“I am in support of resumption but with the caveat that we have to think in terms of safety, we have to think in terms of what Nigerians are asking for particularly ASUU.
“FUOYE is ready because we only have to put a number of protocols in place and we would resume. We know the cost and we are already preparing. We are cash trapped, but we have enough money to ensure resumption.”
