…Measure in compliance with Govt’s directive — MAPOLY PRO
By Uthman Salami
Reports have emerged that students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) were prevented by lecturers from attending lectures without vaccination cards.
The move, Nigerian NewsDirect learnt, was in compliance with the directives of Ogun State Government and management of the institutions.
One of the affected students, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, bemoaned the development while noting that she missed classes as a result of lack of vaccination card.
In the student’s words: “We were sent out of the class for not being able to provide the COVID-19 vaccination card.”
Another student expressed his displeasure with the decision to enforce vaccination on the entire students.
He said, “I have already told them that nothing must happen to me as a result of this decision.
“This is totally unfair. Initially, I thought students were going to go on a protest, but I was so surprised when I saw people showing their vaccination cards.
“If all of us had insisted on fighting against the illegal imposition, they would not have gone away with it.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction to the development, the Public Relations Officer of MAPOLY, Mr Yemi Ajibola, said the move implies that the State Government of Ogun is intensifying the efforts to cushion the spread of the pandemic.
He said, “It means that COVID-19 is still with us and Ogun State Government is seriously making effort to ensure that students get vaccinated. They came to the Polytechnic sometimes ago for mass mobilization.
“Recently, they returned to the Polytechnic with many vaccination spots apart from the health center.
“We have about five spots now on campus. They are efforts geared towards ensuring that the students are vaccinated. All these points are not by the school authority. It is from the State Government and ministry of health to ensure that we have everybody vaccinated.
“So if so lecturers are now demanding for their vaccination card. I don’t see anything wrong with it just to make sure that the environment is safe for everybody. I don’t see anything wrong with lectures asking them to be vaccinated.
“Most students who are complaining will be freshers because I know those returning students are aware of all this and most of them have gotten vaccinated even during or before the examination that I think and for those who have not that are not returning, I think that’s not out of case.
“Yes, the school is supporting the State Government’s directive that students should be vaccinated,” he ended.