If signals emanating from the Federal Government is strictly adhered to, the nation’s Varsities as well as other tertiary institutions will reopen for academic activities before September ending.
A top government official in the Federal Ministry of Education Abuja, who didn’t want his name in print, told Businessday exclusively that most of the universities, Polytechnics and colleges of Education had met all necessary requirements based on fact findings, visits, monitoring and consultations, that necessitates their reopening.
According to our source, “Series of meetings were held between Federal Ministry of Education officials and authorities of Public and private tertiary institutions in the past weeks to ascertain and determine the preparedness in keeping with the required due protocols for resumption.
According to our source: “Subsequently upon the institution’s presentation to the enabling authorities, on their readiness to reopen, several monitoring visits were embarked upon out by representatives of the presidential task force on COVID-19 and Federal Ministry of Education.
“The entire private institutions are ready as I am talking to you right now. The public Varsities as you know are on strike. The government is at the moment seeking a quick possible ways to end the crisis before it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), before announcing reopening.
“The presidency had directed the Education Ministry as well as National Universities Commission (NUC), to liaise with Ministry of Labour and Employment, at finding a lasting mode of ending the protracted strike, “The source said.
When asked to confirm the development towards reopening of tertiary institutions, the minister of state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, told our Correspondent that the Federal government, ‘’ will in a couple of days inform the Nigerians when the nation’s tertiary institutions are billed for reopening.”
Nwajiuba, who said that the government is at the moment still discussing with various stakeholders, said as soon it’s done with its conversation, universities and other tertiary institutions will reopen.
The minister gave the assurance that Varsities will reopen at some point when it is safe to do so, adding that the presidential task force was already working on it.
On the protracted strike by ASUU, the Minister assured that the ongoing strike will not linger upon resumption as it would be resolved before classes begin.
Nwajiuba, however reiterated that government will not reopen school until it receives ‘’a clean bill” from the presidential task force on COVID – 19.
The minister said: “I have met with owners of private tertiary institutions in the country and during the meetings, they demanded that the schools be reopened.”
