Proprietors of Private Polytechnics in Nigeria have disagreed with ASUP and ASUU that tertiary institutions should remain closed to academic activities due to COVID-19 pandemic and called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, reopen polytechnics.

They urged the the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to announce a date within the current phase of COVID-19 lockdown for the resumption of polytechnics.

The association stated that they have measures in place for the safe return of students to campus, the proprietors said the return of students to campus would help polytechnics contribute towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordimng to the group, COVID-19 has exposed the admission fraud in public institutions; stating that admission into tertiary institutions are regulated by JAMB and NUC to ensure that institutions admit according to their carrying capacity but how come that public institution are saying that they do not have enough class rooms to ensure social distancing.

“We don’t believe that there are different standards for private institutions. Private Polytechnic admits within its capacity and most of us don’t have enough students because the public institutions hoard the students during JAMB admission. The number of students in private polytechnics allows for social distancing.”

He said it was because of profit that public schools “over-admit” students and do so outside the laws, outside the approval of NUC and NBTE, and without the clear knowledge of JAMB.

“If not for profit why should public schools be having students in regular programs, evening programs, weekend programs, consultancy programs, etc. Are these programmes not profit-oriented?” APPPN asked.