EBOLA: NUT, TUC reject Sept. 22 resumption date, ask FG to ignore pressure from school proprietors

Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT; Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC,  have kicked against the September 22, resumption date for primary and secondary schools amidst the nation’s battle to contain the scourge of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, EVD. Also the House of Representatives has asked its Committee on Education to meet with the Federal Ministry of Education on the u-turn made by the latter on the resumption date for schools in the country. The Ministry had earlier fixed resumption for October 13, but later brought it back to September 22 after alleged pressure from some powerful school proprietors, according to report from Vanguard TUC, yesterday, specifically called on the federal government, to ignore pressure allegedly from private school owners, declaring that it could not agree less with the health professionals and other concerned Nigerians who had advised that resumption date of schools be extended until further notice after losing some experienced health workers and other innocent citizens TUC in a statement by its President and Secretary General, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Musa Lawal respectively, said “Prior to the EVD outbreak there was the insecurity challenge which has so far remained unabated, even though it has claimed thousands of lives and displaced indigenes of the whole of North-east. In fact, as it stands now even if the crisis ends today billion of naira would be required to reconstruct and rehabilitate people who have lost their property and loved ones to the dreaded sect.”

Similarly, NUT speaking through its President, Mr. Michael Alogba, faulted Federal Government’s decision  to allow school to resume on September 22, saying, “Students should not resume until there is no single case of Ebola in the country.” Alogba said He added that “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.” He noted that government should have remained more combative in dealing with this issue instead of succumbing to the pressure of powerful school proprietors, arguing that “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. How many schools have complied with the measures which are supposed to be in place before resumption? How many have the adequate number of equipment or trained personnel?” he queried.