Ebola: S-West governors direct schools to re-open Monday

Ogun trains 15,000 teachers, Lagos to sanction defaulting schools .Osun fixes Oct 6

By Dayo Johnson, Ola Ajayi ,  Amaka Abayomi & Daud   Olatunji

LAGOS — LAGOS and other South West states besides Osun, have directed the resumption of primary and secondary schools on Monday as directed by the Federal Government, with a  stern warning from Lagos State government that it will sanction schools that default in implementing the basic preventive measures Ebola Virus Disease EVD, as directed by the Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau.

This came as no fewer than 15,000 teachers from both private and public schools in Ogun
State have been trained on how to contain   the outbreak of the dreaded EVD.

However, Osun State government has fixed October 6 as the resumption date for public and private schools in the state.

In Lagos, Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, at a sensitisation exercise on EVD for private schools owners,  said sensitisation programme was part of measures aimed at preventing  further spread of EVD.

According to Oladunjoye, “the aim of this sensitization exercise is to remind school management and teachers on the need to teach their students the importance of good personal hygiene so that we don’t record new cases of the EVD.  To ensure compliance with the Federal Government’s directive, monitoring teams from the state Ministry of Education will, this weekend, go on inspection tours of all private and public schools in the state and any school that fails to provide running water, hand sanitisers and digital thermometers would be sanctioned accordingly.”

The Commissioner also said the first day of school would be dedicated to educating the students on the EVD and the various preventive measures.

Pleading with teachers to concentrate on their teaching jobs, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Yewande Adesina, charged them to be proactive and not panic driven so as not to instil fear in their students.

Ogun trains 15,000 teachers on Ebola
While announcing the training of 15,000 teachers, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Segun Odubela, the training conducted by medical personnel from the ministry of health, took place in seven centres across the state, and lasted for three days.

Odubela who said he could not confirm yet if the schools in the state would resume on September 22, added that the state was yet to receive infrared thermometers from the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.

He said, “I am still talking with the officials of the Federal Ministry of Education on the infrared thermometers, as at now, we are yet to receive them. Hopefully by tomorrow (Friday), I will still call them.”

Necessary provision made in Ondo
On its part, Ondo state government directed all public and private schools in the state to resume for the 2014/2015 academic session on Monday in line with the Federal Government directive.

Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade in Akure, said government had made necessary provision for the safe return of pupils and students to their schools.

Akinmade said necessary steps had been taken to address the current challenges over EVD.
He  said  the state had already lined up activities to sensitize the public, Principal and Head teachers of schools on the prevention of EVD.

The statement said Scanners would be distributed among schools in the state for early detection in the case of the Ebola virus or other contagious diseases.

The Commissioner said government was satisfied that reasonable measure had been put in place to ensure safety of pupils and students

Osun fixes October 6
Osun state government through a statement by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, who is also the state Commissioner for Education, said Governor Rauf Aregbesola had directed all public and private schools to reopen for the 2014/2015 academic session on October 6.

According to the statement, “This will enable principals and teachers to receive adequate training to prevent Ebola epidemic in schools and in the state in general.”

NUT lacks professional competence on EVD — Reps
Meanwhile, the House of  Representatives has insisted on September 22 resumption date saying the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, which directed members not to  comply with the September 22 resumption date,  lacks professional skills to speak on EVD.
NUT had rejected the date saying its members would not resume until they were provided with necessary gadgets that would prevent them from contacting the deadly EVD.

Speaking through the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Alhaji Aminu Suleiman who was in the University of Ibadan as part of its oversight functions,  said since the teachers’ union was not the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA,  it lacked the power to discuss issues relating to health.

He said, “Based the heated arguments across the country on the resumption of schools, we invited the Minister of Education to ventilate the anger of Nigerians over attempt to resume. We also invited the NMA. The government through the minister defended reasons that led to the decision to resume on September 22. This position was corroborated by the NMA”.

“NUT as a trade union has rights to do its protest. But, we must be very frank with ourselves, NUT is not a professional body as far as health matters are concerned. I respect them as a trade union organisation with rights to defend their members. But of course, where an issue that concerns a position of professionals and the professional came before the National Assembly and before cameras to say it is safe for our children to resume. On what basis, we would continue to argue? Is it on the basis of ignorance? We are convinced by the position of NMA. If there is anything, then Nigerians should be ready to  hold NMA responsible

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