Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola has expressed disappointment at the Federal Government for not giving consideration to private universities in the plan to reopen schools that were shut in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
He stated that both private and public universities had been left out by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in its daily briefings.
Babalola made the assertion in a goodwill message at a Zoom Meeting of the Pro Chancellors of Private Universities in Nigeria on Saturday.
In his statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, the ABUAD founder recommended that “private universities should be given the first consideration for resumption”.
He said;
This is on account of the moral and physical discipline, quality and functional education, hygienic and safe environment, predictable academic calendar, absence of trade unionism, committed teachers, modern teaching equipment and laboratories, and adequate preparation to prevent COVID-19 as well as fully residential status of private universities.
Babalola added;
Private universities are fully residential for both the students and staff. As a result, the students in private universities are better disciplined, better and easier to control, better mentored unlike their counterparts in public university 80 per cent of who come from home in public transport. Most, if not all, of the private universities, have their campuses fenced with full control over who comes in and who goes out.
He believes that most private universities have complied or are in a position to comply with the provisions required by the PTF before the universities can reopen.
Babalola expressed;
I, therefore, suggest that the Pro-Chancellors should ask any university that has all the requirements to apply for inspection of the university and where a university has all the equipment and materials, it be given approval to reopen.
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Schools have been closed since March over coronavirus pandemic but there were plans to reopen in July, however this was later halted over safety concerns.
