By Austin Ajayi, Yola
Ahead of possible resumption of tertiary education institution across the country, the Adamawa State Polytechnic has inaugurated a 11-man Covid-19 containment committee.
Inaugurating the committee, Rector of the school, Prof. Ibrahim Umar, said the committee became necessary following directive from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to put in place measures to enable students and staff carry out their activities in an healthy environment.
The rector, represented by his deputy, Dr. Timothy Siya, charged the containment committee to exploit all areas that will enable staff and students comply with NDDC laid down rules to avoid the spread of the virus.
He commended the various unions in the institution that have agreed to contribute thieir own quota to make resumption easy for students and staff of the institution.
Chairman of the Covid-19 Containment Committee, Dr. Gebriel Teneke while thanking the management for the opportunity to serve in this capacity ), promised to ensure all Covid-19 protocols directives by the NCDC are followed.
Dr. Teneke, who is the Director Of Academic Planning of the institution, called on all to cooperate with the committee because according to him, “it will not be as it were”.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the chairman, Senior Academic Staff Union of the Polytechnics (ASUP) Mal. Bashir Adamu, who spoke on behalf all Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and others, said after meetings with relevant stakeholders in the institution, members agreed to support with N2,000 each from their check-up dues as a way to say thank you to the state government who have been paying their salaries in full even without doing anything since the lockdown.
The ASUP chairman added that some staff have also promised to give personal donation to fast track the fummigation of the school.
” This is our own way of saying thank you the government of Adamawa state for paying our salaries in full despite we have been out of class room since the lockdown”
Mallam Bashir Ahamd debunked claims that the school authority is compelling academic and non academic staff to contribute to the containment committee.
In a bulletin released by the Academic Staff and signed by the public relations officer, Mr Usman Bashiru stated ” we have all agreed to support the school with N2000 each to be deducted from check up dues used to run our association in the school”.
“Nobody is been compared to contribute from their pockets”
The Students Union Government(SUG) President, who spoke on behalf of the students said ” we will abide with the committee guidelines, we are tired of staying at home and we will do anything that will make us get back to school.”
