By Gbenga Abulude
Tertiary institutions in Delta State have been asked to resume on October 2 after five months of closure due to the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Delta State Government made the announcement, Wednesday through the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, who said students will resume in phases in adhering to the new safety protocols in containing the spread of the virus.
Patrick urged the returning students to comply with Covid-19 protocols and other directives from the school management.
The commissioner however noted that the date of the resumption does not apply to Federal tertiary institutions in the state.
He said, “We have agreed to reopen on October 2nd immediately after the Independence Day celebration. Each institution is to work out its own program to fall within the time frame given.
“This applies to all tertiary institutions under the Delta State Ministry of Higher Education. This doesn’t apply to federal institutions. Federal institutions are not included in this arrangement. They are controlled by the Federal Ministry of Education.”
The commissioner added that resumption of students will be done in phases as the school management will work out their own arrangements as it suits each one.
“At the time this lockdown started, they (tertiary institutions) were not all at the same level. Some were in first semester while others were in second semester. The school management knows what to do. Our appeal is that students should adhere to the COVID-19 protocols,” he added.
Recall that the Delta State Government with the management of different state tertiary institutions had earlier agreed to tentatively reopen schools on September 21.