Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan
As members of the University of Ibadan community prepare, in the midst of coronavirus (COVID-19) scourge, to join the rest of the world to celebrate Easter holidays from tomorrow, the Vice Chancellor University of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka has called on them to celebrate the season with high sense of responsibility and ensure it does not turn to a potential risk for more outbreaks.
Olayinka, in his Easter message to members of University of Ibadan community, urged them to see the season as a period to reflect on the implication of the current global challenge, COVID-19 epidemic, and how the university responded to it.
He reminded them that the responsibility of protecting themselves, their families and the University community solely lies with them; as some state governments contemplate to relax the COVID-19 response measures during the festivities.
He said: “As the Easter holiday begins tomorrow and governments of certain states may contemplate to relax the COVID-19 response measures, do remember that the responsibility of protecting yourself, your family and the University of Ibadan Community lies solely on you. Ensure that you are celebrating Easter the safe way and with a high sense of responsibility that does not turn the celebration in to a potential risk for more outbreaks”
He, however, advised them to put off non-essential travels and continue to enjoy the new normal habits and atmosphere of, indoor exercises, staying home, staying healthy, and observing social distancing and hygiene as our culture.
“Do put off non-essential travels and let us continue to enjoy the new normal habits and atmosphere of, indoor exercises, staying home, staying healthy, and observing social distancing and hygiene as our culture,” he advised.
The Vice Chancellor who specifically commended membere of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) U.I. chapter, for its deliberateness to ensure that students wrote their examinations and computation of the results began, about the time the reality of COVID-19 dawned on the country, also commended all category of staff for their adaptation to the new lifestyle the outbreak of COVID-19 imposed on them.
He said: “I will like to put on record the commitment of all the category of staff to the welfare of students as COVID-19 became a reality on our country, the city of Ibadan and indeed our campus.
“The adaptation to the new normal on campus is really impressive.”
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor informed that as efforts are on to end the lockdown and return to normal activities, strategies are being evolved to migrate the teaching and learning process to electronic platforms as obtained in other institutions in the International community, as soon as possible.
“Structures are being put in place towards resumption at the end of this lockdown, and as in other institutions in the international community, strategies are being evolved to migrate to on-line teaching and learning platforms, as soon as practicable, including a Learning Management System, that already exist and to continue to improve the capacity of more Faculty to become more competent in the use of these resources in facilitating teaching and learning,” he hinted.
