Authorities of the Benue State University, Makurdi have debunked rumours that top officers of the university are infected by coronavirus.

In a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the institution Mr. Terzungwe Tser Vanger and made available to pressmen in Makurdi, the university called on the general public to disregard such rumour and regard same as false alarm.

The university authorities had on Monday, 29th June, 2020, through a circular, directed almost all non-teaching staff of the University to stay at home as from the following day till further notice.

The circular had also instructed that very sensitive offices including the Vice Chancellor’s office, Deputy Vice Chancellor’s offices, the Senate Chamber amongst others be immediately fumigated.

This raised curiosity and concerned amongst the Benue public with many raising eyebrows with insinuations that some top management officers of the university were infected by the dreaded virus.

But the university in clearing the air stated in the statement that, “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”.