Babcock Varsity Announces Indefinite Postponement of Resumption

By Funmi Ogundare

In line with the National Universities Commission (NUC) directive that vice-chancellors of universities should suspend all activities in their institutions in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol, Babcock University in Ogun State, has advised parents and prospective students to put on hold all travel plans for resumption for academic activities on campus until further pronouncement by the institution.

The university had in a letter dated December 14, 2020, ordered fresh students to resume in three batches from January 10 to 14, 2021, while returning students were expected to resume in six batches from January 17 to 21, 2021.

The Director of Communications and Marketing, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, said with the directive from NUC on December 23, 2020, in line with the directives from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and other recent government COVID-19 related releases, parents and students should put on hold all travel arrangements.

He said this was to ensure the best for parents as well as to safeguard the health, interest and future of the university students.

The NUC in a circular issued and signed by its Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Mayaki, said classrooms activities, hostel accommodation, conference and seminars should be suspended.

According to the circular, “Vice-chancellors are to please note that the directive is part of the measures approved by the president to mitigate the second wave of coronavirus infections in the country. The affected officers are expected to perform their duties from home while those on GL13 and above should strictly adhere to the extant preventive measures, including maintenance of physical distancing, regular washing of hands and/or sanitising of hands, wearing of face masks and reducing the number of visitors to their offices.”

Following the reported outbreak of the second wave of the pandemic, which has seen a surge in the number of infections across the country, the federal government has reintroduced some measures to help curb the spread of the disease.