The Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, has inaugurated a 20-bed COVID-19 isolation Centre on campus in line with the protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Obi, who inaugurated the centre on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in Calabar, said her administration was desirous of safety within the University community.
She said when it became obvious that the University was going to resume, the Senate of the University met and agreed that they should operate on face-to-face contact with the students with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
According to her, the university engaged a reputable consultant to install essential COVID-19 sanitizing equipment, including entry and exit tunnels, heavy duty humidifiers, automatic hand sanitizers, standing thermometers, and infrared thermometer.
The VC, who inaugurated the Centre in commemoration of her 100 days as VC of the University, said that “with God on our side, we have not recorded any suspected case of COVID-19 on campus”.
“Moreso, our students are very conscious, even the buses that ply the routes on campus are abiding strictly to the COVID-19 protocols.
“We are proud of what is happening today; we stand out as one the few universities that took the risk of reopening fully for academic activities.
“Right now, we are in the middle of our first semester examination and everything is going on smoothly.
“We took time to put in resources to achieve this great feat with the help of well-meaning Nigerians.
“Notable among them include, the former Director-General, Department of State Services Mr Ita Ekpenyong, former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa and the Chief Executive Officer of Dozzy Oil & Gas, Mr Daniel Chukwudozie,” she said.
She applauded Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River for donating massive COVID-19 equipment to the University’s COVID-19 Taskforce team.
Earlier, Chairman of University of Calabar COVID-19 Taskforce, Dr Kingsley Akaba, said that the committee was desirous of promoting safety on campus.
Akaba said that the committee would continue to enforce the COVID-19 protocols on campus, adding that their mandate was to have a seamless academic session free from the pandemic.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said she had earlier recommended to the Presidential Task Force to empower Universities to have their own taskforce.
“We cannot depend on State or Federal Taskforce to protect over 40,000 children across our Universities.
“So, we must decentralise COVID-19 at all levels and give equal powers to all Universities to set up their COVID-19 response team to manage the response within that particular environment.
“It is amazing to see that Prof. Obi is the first VC in Nigeria to set up a COVID-19 Taskforce on campus and remarkably, the first VC to inaugurate an isolation Centre,” she said.
She commended Obi for all she has achieved within her 100 days in office, adding that the University was experiencing great changes.