Management of the Benue State University, (BSU), Makurdi, has denied rumours making the rounds that its Vice Chancellor, Professor Msugh Kembe, has tested positive to COVID-19.
It also insisted that there is no case of COVID-19 in the state’s University as some social media reports are claiming that top management staff are also positive with the virus.
He described the reports as false.
The Next Edition reports that social media blogs, have been awash with unconfirmed reports that senior members of staff of the institution, have been infected with the COVID-19 disease.
The rumours were that the VC, Professor Kembe, his wife and eight other top staff of the University tested positive for Coronavirus.
Denying the rumours, the management in a statement signed by the institution’s Principal Assistant Registrar (Information & Public Relations), Mr. Tser Vanger, said the rumours were unfounded.
Vanger said the rumours may have been fired by the decision of the University authorities on Monday, June 29, 2020, directing most non-teaching staff of the University to stay at home.
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“The truth of the matter is that all staff of the University had been staying, or working from home since 20th March 2020 when the Federal government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC) directed all universities to close down in response to the COVID-19 challenge.
“After almost three months of the closure and when it was imminent that the agitation for the reopening of institutions of learning might compel the government to direct all institutions to reopen, authorities of Benue State University acted proactively by directing all non-teaching staff to resume work on the 8th of June, in anticipation of directives to reopen.
“However, on Monday, 29 June, the Federal Government came out with guidelines for possible reopening of institutions of Learning, which did not include universities and other institutions of higher learning.
“It was the unveiling of these guidelines and their non-inclusion of universities that informed the decision of Management of Benue State University to issue another internal memo directing all staff on non-essential services to revert to the earlier directive of “work from home” or stay at home as dictated by the COVID-19 protocols.
“The decision is also meant to allow the specialists engaged by the University to fumigate the entire campus with ease.
The statement therefore noted that the Deputy Vice-chancellor (Administration) of the university, a professor of medicine, is a member of the Benue State government committee on COVID-19 and so a case of infection among staff of the University would be fully brought to the attention of the Committee, headed by the State Deputy Governor, Engineer Benson Abounu.
He insisted that there was nothing like that adding that if there was, it would not be discussed in hushed tones.
