COVID-19: Nigerian Polytechnic To Rusticate Students Caught Kissing, Hugging And Exchanging Handshake

To make students strictly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, the management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has threatened to rusticate students caught violating safety guidelines on campus. The tertiary institutions through its COVID-19 technical committee listed fines and punishment for students and staff, who violate the health safety guidelines while in the school premises.

The institution also put in place a ‘no face mask, no entry’ policy. In the notice, the institution stated that “as part of preparation for the resumption of school activities and prevention of further spreading of the virus in our campus, the technical committee on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 Kwara State Polytechnic enjoins staff to observe the enabling health safety instructions of no face mas, no entry before entry at gate, offices, lecture rooms and other duty posts.” Sanctions put in place for students,.who raise false alarm, failure to wear a face mask, non-observance of social distancing, handshake, hugging, kissing and stigmatisation of victims include rustication for one semester. Students of the institution could also be rusticated for one session if they engaged in any act of insubordination. For staff, failure to wear a face mask, non-observance to social distancing, handshaking, kissing and/or hugging could attract a fine of N1,000, a warning letter or public display of names of violators.

Also, stigmatisation of suspected victims and raising false alarm could attract forfeiture of one month salary and/or warning letter.

The Kwara State Government had announced the resumption of tertiary institutions from October 12, 2020. The government urged school authorities to ensure that all safety protocols are adhered to, including physical distancing, use of face masks, and constant washing of hands with soap and water, in order to flatten the curve of transmission of the virus..