The Federal Government said yesterday, that the September 22 resumption date for primary and secondary schools in the country would not be extended because there are no strong reasons for such an extension.
Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting insisted that those who have reasons to believe that the schools should not re-open on that date should forward same to the Federal Government.
The Nigerian Medical Association, as well as other professional bodies have called for the extension of the resumption date for primary and secondary schools until the country is free of the the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.
The President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr. Michael Alogba, says that the decision “is not a good idea at all and students should not resume until there is no single case of Ebola in the country.”
“The Federal Government has done really well in combating the scourge but I would have expected them to stick to the October 13 resumption date because we are still at a point where we are worried about the outbreak in Rivers State and the spread to other states.
“I believe that government should have remained more combative in dealing with this issue instead of succumbing to the pressure of powerful school proprietors. For our children to go back to school while EVD cases are still being recorded in different states, government should post health officers to different states to keep the states under surveillance,” he told Vanguard.
Speaking however, after the FEC meeting yesterday, Professor Chukwu said those calling for the extension of the schools resumption date were being driven by “irrational fears”.
He said unlike other countries where the disease is transmitted through community contact, Nigeria’s case was different and there was no cause for worry.
“The minister of education, after meeting with the commissioners for education from the 36 states and FCT decided when public schools should open, which is 22nd of September. In taking that decision, they considered the information that was given by the federal ministry of health that there is actually no reason now, with the expert information we have at hand, why schools cannot resume earlier than the original date of Oct. 13. I think people should just allow us to do the work we have been doing very professionally.
“It was based on advice given by the ministry of health that the minister of education took the original decision that it was going to be in October and nobody quarrelled with the minister. Now the minister, based on expert advice, has come back to say the resumption date will now be Sept 22 and some people are now quarrelling with it. I think we should allow the authorities to do their job. It is not an ordinary matter to be discussed the way we want to discuss it.
“If you have any evidence why there is need to review it (the resumption date of schools), supply such evidence to the minister of health and we will look at it.
“We have allowed a football match to go on and we screened every fan in Calabar, we screened every player and everybody, even the governor and the wife were screened.
“Unlike other countries, there is no community transmission of the disease in Nigeria; not one yet. But we have taken precautions. We may as well have said everybody should just be moving about, but we are taking precautions. There is no scientific basis for school resumption to be postponed. There is no community transmission of the disease in Nigeria. That is what separates Nigeria from other countries. It is what I call irrational fear, we don’t need to be irrational about this.
“You have asked about Nigerian Medical Association, but the only information I had from NMA is that someone informed me that he had been appointed to head a committee being set up by the NMA on Ebola Virus Disease and I replied that person, that as a government and as federal ministry of health, we look forward to collaboration. Now, collaboration doesn’t mean going to media. Collaboration means if they have information they should give it to the federal ministry of health or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. I have not received any such information. So, if you are telling me what is in the media, I would investigate. I’ll probably call them to let me know the basis of what they are saying through the media.
“The most important thing is that we should work together, but let’s be rational in whatever we are doing so that we don’t cause panic. Panic is not welcome in this business, otherwise we will be in trouble,” he said.
I do commend the NUT president for his concern but in my own opinion resuming September 22 is a very good idea because the case of EVD I believe is under control and keeping the chrildren at home till October 13 has some negative effect on the children.
Any parent that says schools should resume on 22 sept, I believe do not have kids in nursery/primary, Cos if they do, they should know its not wise to expose such little kids to danger. Why are the federal gov rushing to reopen schools. I call this selfishness, due to school proprietors are pressurizing the federal gov, they want to succumb not minding the implications. Let us exercise little patience and put an end to this virus first before talking about resuming schools. I thank the NMA, NUT and also concerned nigerians for speaking their minds and kicking against this there sudden school resumption date. May God help us all
Why won’t dey go back to classroom, why are people taking it as if it is only in Classroom they can contract Ebola?.
What NMA, NUT and we all shd be advocating is that where are the equipment, billions of Naira voted to fighting Ebola are there improvement in our health care.In Some state hospitals you have to buy gloves for the doc
Before resumption, let the government at all levels respectively provide to schools screening materials to both public and private schools. For instance, in Edo state no proactive measure is put in place in case there outbreak of EVD.As much we are praying to God for total eradication of EVD, there is still the need for proactive measures. This is where the NUT chairman is speaking from.
Once it is certified that there is no single Ebola case in the country,no problem about resumption afterall Ebola does not reside in school premises
it all so complicated if i may say. finding the cure s not that easy. parent s afraid of losing children. many parent were broke talkless of paying any school fees. teachers were die-ing of hunger at home. the schools losing alot of cash for children not resuming so they threaten govmt. (but the fact remain that if assuming nigeria is financialy ok . they wont be any argument) nothing is bad in government prospond the resumption, they were just showing consign to there best way to stop the virus from spreading.