ABEOKUTA– The management of Royal Institute of Health Technology, Ifo has suspended the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), adding that it has recalled all its’ students undergoing the scheme following the coronavirus pandemic.
The management made this known on Monday at a meeting between the School, representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Recall that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) had earlier alleged the school authorities of violating the lockdown order on the closure of schools by mobilising students for the compulsory industrial attachment thereby necessitated the meeting
The Public Relation Officer of the Institute, Mr. Adewale Dada speaking at the peaceful meeting refutes the claim that the school had reopened for academic activities, stressing that the school was not in academic session “and there was no academic activities going on in the school.”
He said, “The school was never opened for activities. What happened last week was that Ifo local government area did a workshop for their health workers on control of COVID-19 pandemic and the hall of the school was used
Dada further reteraites that the Students Industrial Work Experience (SIWES) programme had been called off until when the situation surrounding covid-19 is normal
“The school had deployed students for programme following the request from the Ogun State Hospitals Management Board for their students for Industrial Training attachment, but had to suspend the programme for now”
“The students planned to resume today, Monday, June 19, as directed in the letter by the Ogun State Hospitals Management Board but as I’m talking to you right now, the Siwes has been called off immediately NAOSS intervened in the situation”
“These students are health workers and part of the essential activities, in the history of their academic activities, it is important for them to have the experience of the COVID-19 control measure but as we speak, they have been called back”, Dada said.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Students’ Matters, Comrade Azeez Adeyemi who presided over the peaceful meeting noted that the Dapo Abiodun led government is not to witch hunt the school or anybody but to save the students from the risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.
In his words, “We have both agreed here today, that your students must be recalled from their Siwes programme. We have professional doctors and nurses who have contracted COVID-19 and have died”.
“Exposing students that are not yet professionals to the risk of contracting coronavirus is not too good”
He therefore called on the school authority to as a matter of urgency asked all the students to return back to their homes.
