Known for their incessant strikes, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has defied the usual norm—hitting on government to give yield to their demands—instead, they have distributed hand sanitizers and face mask to association and groups across Bauchi State in order to tame the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Distributing the items to beneficiaries at the AbubakarTafawa Balewa University Bauchi, ASUU’s President Biodun Ogunyemi lamented onthe increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the country.
Represented by the union’s zonal coordinator Bauchi zone,
Professor Lawan Abubakar, Biodun pointed out that, “we shall not bedeterred in serving the Nigerian people whenever the need arises includingresponding to the challenges of Covid 19 pandemic”.He said, “Our members are ever ready to contribute inthe war against the Covid 19 pandemic, despite the ongoing strike action and
the withholding of our salaries because ASUU is sensitive and concern on issuesif public health”.The President explained that, the union has to subscribe tothe winning formula and path to collective health “in this our shared globewhere no one is safe epidemiologically, socially or physically until everyoneis safe.”
“It is myth that Africans or blacks or any particularreligion beliefs are immune to Covid-19 or any other virus. It is also a myththat coronavirus is a disease for the big people, high or low, big or small,male or female, the epidemiological rather of the disease is non respecter ofage, education, location, sicio-ecinomic class or any other parameter of humanclassification”.
“We can contribute to the global movement forprevention and control of its spread by applying the health guides andinformation from the World Health Organization and other professionals’institutions and agencies in our personal and family lives as well as bysharing them to help others around us stay safe and healthy”.
ASUU Chairman Bauchi State branch Dr. Muhammed Babayo saidit was necessary for the association to support the fight against Covid-19through provision of sanitizers especially to those who have contacts with many
people daily.He said the beneficiaries include, Okada/Keke NapepAssociation, FOMWAN, Road Transport Emoyers Association of Nigeria, NationalUnion of Road Transport Workers, Christians Association of Nigeria, JamatulIzalatul Bidia Waiqamatul Sunna, and Jamatul Nasrul Islam
Others are Yankari Transport Corporation, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and Bauchi State Task Force Committee on Covid-19.
