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Ebola: NUT, Others Oppose Sept 22 Resumption Date
The Federal Government, teachers and some parents across the country have sharply disagreed over the new September 22 resumption date for primary and secondary schools announced by the Federal Government last week
While the Federal Government says that all necessary measures have been put in place to check any possible outbreak of Ebola, given that there is no known cases of the virus in any part of the country, both the teachers and parents are jittery and are asking for caution, as the scare remains palpable in most cities and communities.
In fact, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike, if the government insists on the September 22, resumption date, while some parents have said that their children will not be allowed to resume until the government can guarantee that there is no known cases in the country again.
But the Federal Government, again, yesterday, said 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, the NUT 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 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
But speaking after the FEC meeting, 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 October 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 quarreled with the minister. Now, the minister, based on expert advice, has come back to say the resumption date will now be September 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.
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.
Government’s decision was, however, met with displeasure, especially as private school proprietors, teachers, parents and stakeholders differ on whether or not schools will be free from EVD by then. However, President, 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.
The NUT has threatened to go on strike if the Federal Government fails to put in place measures to protect its members and pupils from contracting the deadly Ebola Virus Disease before the resumption of schools.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives directed its Committee on Education to take another look at the September 22 resumption date in view of the fact that the EVD had yet to be contained in the country.
Before Alogba spoke, the committee Chairman, Aminu Usman, said that the committee would meet with the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association and the Federal Ministry of Education over the September 22 date.
Alogba said the NUT had already written the Federal Government about its position on the September 22 date.
He warned that if the new date was not extended by Monday, the NUT national executive council would meet on Tuesday in Abuja to take a drastic action.
The NUT chairman said, “In any sane society, decision such as this will not be taken until the government and all stakeholders have met and discussed the issue at stake and are sure that the nation is scientifically and medical free from the scourge.
“But this is not the case in our country. When they arrived at the early October 13 date, they wrote us and we agreed with their argument but when this new date was given, they did not because of the influence of some powerful school owners who put pressure on them (Federal Government) to announce the September 22 date.
“You are aware of what is happening at the Obafemi Awolowo University. How are we sure that there is no primary or secondary school pupil that has had contact with an Ebola patient.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had called on stakeholders in the education sector to put measures in place to create an Ebola-free school environment for children. Each state ministry of education is expected to train, at least two officials from every school on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola as well as embark on immediate sensitisation of all teaching and non-teaching staff on preventive measures.
The Education Minister, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who made this known, said “All primary and secondary schools, both public and private, should be provided with a minimum of two blood pressure measuring equipment by the states’ ministries of education. These ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education. The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment is procured.
“Regular washing of hands is part of the preventive measures and there must be steady supply of water in schools. All states should ensure that this is put in place as the schools reopen.”
But despite this preventive measures, educationists and parents are still skeptical about allowing students to resume as more still need to be done to ensure the safety of the children.
Also, the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) has expressed reservations on the September 22 resumption date announced by the Federal Government.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday, the National Secretary, Mr. Kevin Nwankwo said there has yet to be evidence of any preventive measure taken by the states to curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. He therefore urged government to rescind its decision on the announced date.
“Until yesterday, there was nothing to show that teachers are being trained. I am not aware of sanitisers or training in any school yet.
Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Otelemaba Amachree , paying his last respects to the body of late first Speaker of the State Assembly, Late Chief R.R.Briggs, during a valedictory session in Port Harcourt. Photo: Chris Monyanaga
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.