The Gombe State University chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday distributed hand sanitisers and liquid soap to the state government, communities and religious groups towards curtailing COVID-19.
He added that the chapter thereafter found it essential to play its role in preventing the pandemic.
“Hence, the directive by the National Executive Council (NUC) for all chapters of the union to key in to the activities in spite of the fact that members of the union have been on an indefinite strike action,” Oladimeji said.
He said the branch had, with the support of medical professional colleagues, been engaged in enlightenment campaigns in the mass media apart from distributing posters.
In his message to the gathering, Mr Biodun Ogunyemi, the ASUU President, said the union had encouraged members to work with medical and paramedical teams as volunteers in the fight against COVID-19.
Ogunyemi, who was represented by Mr Mohammed Said, Chairman of Federal University Kashere ASUU chapter, said the union has pledged to demonstrate its concerns for Nigerians’ welfare and well-being.
“Our primary concern is how to reconnect education and health, which are the two clear indices of human development.
“When people say `health is wealth’, we also insist that ‘good health is a product of good education’,” he said.
Prof. Aliyu El-Nafate, the Vice-Chancellor of Gombe State University, expressed appreciation of ASUU’s efforts in contributing to the fight against coronavirus in the state and the country.
Alhaji Marafa Shamaki, who represented the Tudun Wada community and spoke on behalf of the recipients, thanked the ASUU chapter and promised that they would make effective use of the items.
Shamaki called on other unions and associations to emulate ASUU as government alone could not do the job of curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Others were the host communities of the university, namely Tudun Wada, Arawa and Mallam Inna.
Items distributed were 80 cartons of hand sanitisers, 15 cartons of liquid soap and 6,000 pieces of posters in English and Hausa languages.
