Following the extended vacation taken by Nigerian schools as a result of the Ebola virus outbreak, schools in about eleven states are to resume on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, as against the Monday, September 22, 2014 proffered by the federal government, a report by Punch states.
The states (Rivers, Benue, Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Kano, Kogi, Akwa -Ibom, Ebonyi, Ogun and Kwara states) had opted to shift their resumption date as they felt it was not realistic as logistic and preventive measures to stem the virus had not yet been put in place and also because of the observance of Eid-El-Kabir.
Speaking to Punch via telephone, national president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Michael Alogba said the resumption was in line with NUT directives ordering schools not to resume until safety measures had been adequately put in place.
“I’m sorry I don’t have a comprehensive list right now. But I know Lagos and Ogun states are resuming tomorrow. Our directive was that state wings of NUT should monitor the degree of compliance with the provision of safety measures and formally notify us. But the resumption tomorrow (Wednesday) is not nationwide. Some have resumed earlier. Many of them have reported total compliance to us and they include Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ebonyi states,” Alogba said.
“It has exposed the deplorable state of hygiene in our schools. Ordinarily, we don’t need to cry to the high heavens before we could have water in our schools. But the EVD has exposed our shortcomings. Let everybody begins to do what is right. Government should know that it is accountable to the people,’’ he added.
