The Association of Operators of Private Colleges of Education in Nigeria (AOPCOEN) has appealed to the federal government to reopen privately owned colleges of education for academic activities.
The association in a letter jointly signed by its chairman, Professor David Bamigbose and secretary, Mallam Idris, dated Wednesday, July 29 and addressed to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, lamented that the closure of schools had brought untold hardships on both academic and non- academic staff of the institutions.
AOPCOEN said: “Our staff and students have been subjected to untold hardships due to redundancy occasioned by the temporary closure. The popular adage says: “Idle hands are devil’s workshop.
“We have always prided ourselves with consistence in our academics calendar which is one of the selling points of private colleges of education in Nigeria.
“We have been seriously affected by the closure and an intervention by your office will allow us to redeem our academics calendar.
“I wish to assure the minister that private colleges of education in Nigeria have studied the guidelines given by the Federal Ministry of Education, and we are ready to comply with all the requirements which are to the benefits of staff, students, visitors and all the stakeholders.
“All other health protocols as stipulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will also be taken into consideration.”
