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 Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, ASUU’s President Biodun Ogunyemi lamented on the 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 be deterred in serving the Nigerian people whenever the need arises including responding to the challenges of Covid 19 pandemic”.
He said, “Our members are ever ready to contribute in the war against the Covid 19 pandemic, despite the ongoing strike action and the withholding of our salaries because ASUU is sensitive and concern on issues if public health”.
The President explained that, the union has to subscribe to the winning formula and path to collective health “in this our shared globe where no one is safe epidemiologically, socially or physically until everyone is safe.”
“It is myth that Africans or blacks or any particular religion beliefs are immune to Covid-19 or any other virus. It is also a myth that 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 of age, education, location, sicio-ecinomic class or any other parameter of human classification”.
“We can contribute to the global movement for prevention and control of its spread by applying the health guides and information from the World Health Organization and other professionals’ institutions and agencies in our personal and family lives as well as by sharing them to help others around us stay safe and healthy”.
ASUU Chairman Bauchi State branch Dr. Muhammed Babayo said it was necessary for the association to support the fight against Covid-19 through provision of sanitizers especially to those who have contacts with many people daily.
He said the beneficiaries include, Okada/Keke Napep Association, FOMWAN, Road Transport Emoyers Association of Nigeria, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Christians Association of Nigeria, Jamatul Izalatul 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.
