FG insist on September 22 as schools resumption date

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.
But speaking yesterday after the FEC meeting,
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.
He said: “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 eiducation 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.
On the reported case of a student of Obafemi
Awolowo University, who allegedly had contact
with the doctor who died of Ebola in Lagos, the
Health Minister confirmed that she had been
moved to Lagos for a more comprehensive test to
determine whether she was really infected with the
virus or not.
The minister commended authorities of the
Obafemi Awolowo University, who took
precautionary measures and promptly informed the
Ministry of Health of their suspicion of the status of
the student.
He added that at the moment, there are still 490
people under surveillance in Port Harcourt while
those under surveillance in Lagos have reduced to
only 16.