Nigerian Scientists Should Lead The Fight Against Coronavirus, Not Politicians —ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Monday, urged the Federal Government to use Nigerian scientists to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, condemned the fact that politicians are the ones leading the battle against the deadly disease which has claimed many lives around the globe.

Ogunyemi said that ASUU was not convinced that government at various levels are doing enough to battle the disease to a standstill. He said:

“Our union expects government to use Nigerian scientists and other critical stakeholders to fight the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, what we see are groups of politicians and bureaucrats assuming leadership in the fight against the virus.

“We truly hope government officials are not toying with the lives of Nigerians and exploiting the situations for self aggrandisement.”

The ASUU boss said Nigeria needed a command structure led by experts like researchers, scholars and medical scientists.

“So far, desired results are not coming, while reported cases are on the rise daily.

“Although 30 cases were reported as at March 22, the figure has the potential of increasing exponentially in the coming days,” he said.

Ogunyemi said Nigeria needed a command structure led by experts and professionals adding that such structure should include teams of researchers, scholars and medical scientists, and not groups dominated by bureaucrats and politicians.

He added that many universities had epidemiologists who should be called in to join the fight against COVID -19.

“We need them to develop models for curbing the disease spread. Data from these experts will create the required pathways for speedy arrest of the pandemic.

“These measures, along with early detection and isolation, will significantly reduce the spread of the disease,” the ASUU boss said.

Ogunyemi, therefore, stated that ASUU members nationwide shall be willing to work with medical workers and paramedics, as volunteers in the public enlightenment and professional intervention initiative.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday reported the first confirmed death from coronavirus in the country, with 40 total cases spread across five states and the federal capital territory (FCT).