Rivers Orders Schools To Reopen, Today …As WAEC Releases Exams Timetable

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has approved the resumption of schools, today, for exit classes for both private and public schools across the state.
The approval was made, yesterday, according to a statement signed by Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku.
The statement states, “Following satisfactory preparation for the re-opening of schools in Rivers State, the state Governor, His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike, has approved the re-opening of secondary schools in the state for the purpose of allowing candidates in exit classes only to return to school and revise with their teachers and write their exit examinations.
“Accordingly, all affected teachers and candidates in both public and private schools are hereby directed to return to school with effect from Wednesday, August 5, 2020.
“All responsible officers should please ensure the observance of extant Covid-19 Protocols in their schools,” it added.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, had confirmed that the state government had taken every necessary precautions to ensure the safety and health of students and the teachers against the threats of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Consequently, he said that the government had made efforts to clean up schools ahead of the reopening.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after routine inspection of environmental clean-up of some schools across the state in line with Covid-19 protocols, last Monday, Ebeku assured that students in the state have been equipped for the forthcoming WASSCE.
The commissioner said that the state had earlier commenced preparatory classes for exit students via e-learning, hence students were prepared for the examinations.
He said, “In this state, we started early to ensure that our students are kept in good form, and so, if the WASSCE comes today, I am sure that our students will be more than able to perform because we have chosen to do the needful to ensure that they are not lousy and idle at home.. They have been engaged meaningfully through the Television and Radio programmes the ministry has been anchoring since March, by the directive of the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.”
Ebeku further explained that, “Well, the approach of the Rivers State Government is this way… we thought we should prepare the environment before inviting the students to come to the premises. We do not think it is reasonable for the students to just resume and enter filthy environments with all the associated risks.
“..Because of the need to protect the health of the students, we thought first of all, we should prepare”, he stressed, and expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of the schools visited.
He said: “As you can see, I am on routine monitoring of the exercise of cleaning up of the school premises…so far, so good, you can see that we have started to tidy up the environment, and I have inspected the halls that are being prepared for the WAEC exams candidates, and I can tell you loud and clear that all is looking well and good”.
During the routine monitoring exercise, Ebeku visited Government Girls Secondary School, Rumueme; Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta; Community Secondary School, Rumuepirikom; Hallel College, and Brookstone Secondary School, both in Rukpokwu.