The President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Professor Biodun Ogunyemi has advised Federal and State governments to back their lockdown order with the provision of existential needs for residents.

ASUU warned that unless everyday needs of the people are made available, the emerging lockdown of the country may not achieve its desired result of social distancing.

Ogunyemi in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said there must be reasonable supply of electricity, water and food.

He warned that unless the needs of people are made available, the federal and state government may face rebellion from people which will be counter productive.

“Access to electricity and running water and an unbroken chain of food supply and availability of other essential items should be key components of the policy called lockdown.

“Unless the people’s survival needs are factored into the equation, governments at the national and sub-national levels may be courting an uncontrollable regime of rebellion which may be counterproductive to the cause of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria,” he said.

The ASUU President said the lesson to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic is that issues of health and safety know no territorial boundaries and political leaders everywhere had better worked with everyone to make the world safe for all.

“ASUU subscribes to this winning formula and path to collective health. In this our shared globe, no one is safe epidemiologically, socially or physically until everyone is safe.

“We can conquer the fear emerging from the manifestation of this global pandemic in our little corners. 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 Organisation and other professional institutions and agencies,” Ogunyemi added.

He also revealed that ASUU is contributing their quota by distributing sanitisers, and other sensitisation material to check the spread of COVID-19 at various locations including the University of Ibadan and University of Jos and according to him, other chapters of the institution body will also join in the sensitisation. (Channels TV)

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