ASUU to govts: Ensure food, electricity are available during lockdown

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, on Thursday, asked both the federal and state governments to make basics needs available for the masses during the lockdown period.

The academic union said unless provisions were made for essential materials, the lockdown of the entire country may be counterproductive.

Ogunyemi, in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan, said there must be a reasonable supply of electricity, water and unbroken chain of food items.

The statement read in part, “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 knockdown policy.

“Unless the people’s survival  are factored into the equation, governments may be courting an uncontrollable regime of rebellion which may be counterproductive to the cause of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

“It can be argued that no issue has ever brought humanity so close for many decades as recently done by COVID-19.

“The lesson in all of this is that more than ever before, the world has come to realise that issues of health and safety know no territorial boundary.” Punch