From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed, vice-chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), has disclosed that the school will embark on “show evidence of vaccination before entry.” He insisted: “The university is yet to recover from the devastating impact of the lockdown that led to forceful closure as a result of the pandemic.”
He spoke more on this and other issues in this interview.
Excepts:
How did Nasarawa State University, Keffi, manoeuvre the impact of COVID-19 pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic came and disrupted our academic activities. In fact, when the pandemic became worse and the government took the decision to shutdown the schools we were just about two weeks to our convocation.
We were closed for almost one year and it had adverse consequences. When normalcy started returning, and COVID-19 cases started dropping there were efforts to reopen. Because, it was becoming very imperative that in the midst of the COVID-19 situation we needed to know how to operate safely. We had a series of meetings and the government promised to support us.
We decided that we were not going to cancel any session. Then we looked into the requirements for safe reopening in terms of observing the COVID-19 protocols and where the government will need to come in.
Then, for us in the tertiary institution, we assessed what we needed in terms of the COVID-19 protocol, the kind of support that we required from the government. We were able to identify what we would require and we requested support from the government and the government gave us some support but it didn’t cover our exact needs.
There was also one challenge, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was on strike and therefore we couldn’t reopen immediately with others. Fortunately the strike ended and we considered the protocol in detail.
We resumed in January. We are grateful to God that there was no recorded case of COVID-19 throughout our first semester. We also commenced the second semester immediately, we only had one-week break because we were trying to catch up with academic activities that were disrupted by the lockdown.
As we speak now we have concluded the second semester, and we resumed for 2020 2021 academic session on September 13. It has really been quite challenging. But the most gratifying thing to note is that we have not had any reported cases of COVID-19.
Government made a deliberate effort to bring the AstraZeneca vaccines to us at our school clinic and we made announcements for everyone to get vaccinated. We led by example by getting the leadership of the university to take the shots on camera. I want to say that we are very grateful to the Almighty God.
It seems the protocols are no longer being adhered to. What’s your reaction?
Yes, there are all kinds of sceptics, conspiracy theorists, and all kinds of characters that don’t in the first place seem to believe that COVID-19 is real. Secondly, the trajectory of the pandemic is also one that has created a lot of doubt. There’s a lot of hype about the pandemic but when you also look at the situation on the ground, you find that the hype does not match the reality.
There are those who actually base their scepticism on conspiracy theories that in the first place COVID-19 doesn’t exist. Because of the grace of God that we have not been devastated like other parts of the world, that too really seems to send the wrong signal.
I have also been observing that a lot of people don’t wear facemask anymore because they think that the COVID is not real. It’s very difficult to persuade, perception is a very serious issue, rightly or wrongly, people stick to it and they behave on the basis of their own perception of reality. That is what we’re confronting.
What are you doing about enforcement?
You see, the question of enforcement really must be something that leaders at different levels, or indeed, all levels of the university must be involved in.
We have told the lecturers that they must insist that students come in with facemasks on, wash and sanitize their hands. For those who have large classes, we said, share them into two. We have had meetings at the Senate where we implore them, particularly the academic staff to make sure that their students adhere to the protocols.
Will you subscribe to everyone getting vaccinated?
Yes. I truly believe in vaccination. We’re going to ensure that everybody on this campus is vaccinated. We are going to ensure that everybody on this campus is vaccinated. The pandemic is true it is a reality.
The fact that it has not devastated us in Nigeria is something that we should be appreciative to our Creator. But of course, we should not throw caution to the winds.
How are you addressing delay in graduating students and the quality of graduates being churned out?
We are making conscious efforts to address the problems. We have examined the situation, we have found that there are candidates who stay five, six years trying to do a masters programme. There are those who take eight, nine, 10 years trying to do PhD and we believe that it is not right.
This is because the data you’re collecting and analysing as your findings may be out-dated. It may be irrelevant by the time you are done, and the knowledge you are generating will be stale. We resolved to clean this process. We know that there are challenges on the part of the students.
If you come in for a masters’ programme, at the end of the two years, we will give you the one-year grace making it three years. Then we’ll write to tell you that your study period has elapsed. If you have reason to complain, and we find the reasons to be genuine, we can make a final extension for you. At the end of the extension you go. Same goes for PhD, you have a minimum of three years to finish and maximum of five years.
We constituted a committee under the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof Haruna Kuchi to identify factors responsible for the delay in the graduation of students. That is the reason students cannot finish as at when due
We then developed a monitoring template. There should be accountability for every student who has enrolled in our university. We should be able to make that decision as to whether the candidate is a serious student or not.
We want the serious candidates to generate knowledge that he/she is happy, the university is happy and can contribute to the socio economic development of Nigeria and the world at large.
NSUK is not in the news for cult related issues. What’s the secret?
We have a robust security internal arrangement, headed by a retired colonel. We also have an intelligence unit within that security outfit. They’re able to think ahead of the students. Whoever is apprehended, we simply make them appear before the disciplinary committee. We also have an exam misconduct committee. We ask the student to leave if found guilty.
We work closely with the DSS, the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military.
I was speaking with the state director of the DSS recently and he told me that there are a number of cultists that they are tracking in the university. There are times we’ll get reports that in some hotels there have been cult clashes where students are drawn in the swimming pool, where some are killed.
I can assure you that we have the courage and the capacity to deal with any cultist. If anyone is caught, we’re going to put that cultist before the disciplinary committee and we’re going to expel that cultist.
We are very conscious of inter-university transfer. We have realised that that is one of the veritable ways that they come. Somebody who is expelled in another institution comes to NSUK. We normally do a proper background check to ensure that the person we are bringing is a person that we can vouch for.