Nigeria Is A Federation, We Do Not Take Orders From PTF - Seven States Reject FG's Date For School Resumption

State governments on Sunday differed on the Federal Government’s directive that schools in the country should remain shut till January 18 as part of efforts to curb COVID-19 second wave.

While states such as Kogi, Anambra, Plateau, and Ekiti said their schools would resume on  January 18, Rivers, Cross River, Gombe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Delta and Oyo states shunned the Federal Government’s directive.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 second wave, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19,  at its press conference on December 21, said all schools in the country would remain shut till January 18.

The PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who addressed the press conference, said, “The PTF on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Education, expects that schools would have vacated from the 18th December 2020 and remain closed till at least the 18th of January, 2021 to enable the measures introduced to take effect.”

The measures, according to the PTF, include social distancing and installation of hand-washing materials.

Our schools resume Jan 11, we don’t have imminent COVID-19 threat – C’River

The Cross River State Commissioner for Quality Education, Dr Godwin Amanke, in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, said the state would not change its decision on the January 11 resumption of schools.

Amanke said “That is our original date on the timetable we rolled out last year.”

On the January 18 date fixed by the Federal Government for schools’ resumption, the commissioner stated,  “Individual states are subject to their peculiar circumstances. We don’t have any imminent threat in the state to warrant such a shift.

“We will encourage schools to observe necessary protocols. The parents have a role to play. The teachers have a role to play and children have a role to play.”

Some private schools in the state had fixed their resumption date for Monday (today).

The Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said the January  11 resumption date of schools in the state had not changed.

Asked by one of our correspondents if the state would change the resumption date to comply with the directive of the PTF, Adisa stated,  “ Oyo schools resume on January 11.”

Also, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, in an interview with The PUNCH, said, “For now, the schools' resumption date remains January 11.”

January 18  is for epicentres like Lagos, FCT – Gombe commissioner

The Gombe State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Habu Dahiru, said there was no going back on the January 11 resumption date for the schools in the state.

Dahiru, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH, said the Federal Government’s January 18 resumption date was for states with high rates of COVID-19 infections.

He said, “Gombe’s resumption date is still 11th of January. Last time, due to COVID-19, the school calendar had to change. The local epidemiologist has not told me we are in great danger if we practise the COVID-19 protocols well just like we did when we opened schools earlier.

“Our school calendar states we are opening on the 11th January. The Federal Government’s date is for places like  Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, and Kaduna, where there is a surge.

“We have set up committees on COVID-19 protocols in schools. We will observe the guidelines by ensuring that soap and water as well as  face masks are available.”

We receive directives from our gov, not PTF – Zamfara commissioner

On his part, the Zamfara State Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, in an interview with The PUNCH said schools in the state started resuming on Sunday (yesterday).

The commissioner said,  “We have already reopened our schools beginning from today, Sunday.  We have reopened our boarding schools today (Sunday), while the day schools will resume tomorrow (Monday).

When asked why the state was not following the PTF’s recommendation that schools should not resume till the Jan 18, the commissioner said, “PTF is not the one that gives us directives.

“My directive comes from my governor who asked us to reopen our schools which we have done and we are going to start the first term examination on Wednesday”.

Nigeria is a federation – Delta

The Delta State Government also insisted on the January 11 resumption date, adding that the country was a federation.

The Commissioner for Basic Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah,  had in a statement on Wednesday in Asaba, urged boarders to return on January 10 as classes would start on January 11.

The commissioner, in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, said the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, had issued a lot of statements about COVID-19  protocols and schools resumption.

He said, “We are a federation. The Federal Government may have given a suggestion and advised that we can resume at a particular time. This is a federal system. It is not only Delta State that is resuming on January  11.  Some states are resuming  on Jan 4.”

In Sokoto State, one of our correspondents gathered that public schools owned by the state government would resume on Monday (today).

A ministry of education official told one of our correspondents the state could not comply with PTF’s directive as academic activities were running smoothly in the state schools when the directive was issued.

The source said, “The directive, to my understanding, is for schools on holiday in some places and not public schools in Sokoto.

“You will agree that the outbreak of COVID-19 altered our school calendar and resumption was staggered nationwide.  The majority of our schools are starting their first term examination tomorrow, (Monday), and schools will go on break as from January 22, 2021, according to our calendar.”

Efforts to speak with the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Bello Guiwa, on the issue did not succeed as calls and messages sent to his telephone had yet to be replied as of the time of sending this report.

The Abia State Government had on Thursday said all public and private schools would resume on January 11. On its part, the Rivers State Government directed its schools to resume on Monday (today).

In an SMS  sent to one of our correspondents, the Rivers  State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku, defended the decision of the state government and faulted the PTF on the January 18 resumption date.

No scientific proof that COVID-19 will have gone before Jan 18 – Rivers commissioner

Ebeku said schools were not the only avenue for social gatherings, citing situations in worship centres, market,s and villages.

The commissioner asked, “Is there any scientific certainty that on 18th January, COVID-19 will be gone or greatly contained?

“What is the rationale for choosing 18th January? Are schools the only forum for social gatherings? Frankly consider the situation in markets and places of worship, village communities, and the general society.”

But the Kwara State Government said its tertiary schools would resume January 11, while primary and secondary schools would resume on  January 18.

The state government had in a statement on Saturday by the Press Secretary to the state Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the government had directed that the tertiary institutions to enforce appropriate safety protocols.

Also,  the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and communication, Kingsley Fanwo, told The PUNCH correspondent on Sunday that schools in the state would resume on January 18.

“In Kogi State, schools are resuming January 18, the governor has said that already,” the commissioner said in response to the correspondent’s inquiry.

We changed the resumption date to Jan 18 in compliance with the PTF directive – Plateau  Commissioner-

The Commissioner for Education, (Secondary) in Plateau State, Mrs. Elizabeth Wapmuk,  said that government would not reopen schools in the state until January 18,2021.

Wapmuk, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Jos on Sunday, said that the position of the state government was in compliance with the PTF’s directive.

The commissioner said that the government was serious about enforcing COVID-19 protocols in schools across the state.

She said,  “ Initially, we planned to reopen schools on January 4, but we have now changed the resumption date to January 18. This is in line with the directive of the PTF on school resumption across the country.

“We expect the schools to comply with the COVID-19 regulations to ensure the safety of the children because we will not hesitate to shut down any school found to be contravening the rules.”

Besides Plateau, other states that have fixed January 18 as the resumption date for their schools include Lagos, Ekiti, and Anambra states.

Figures from NCDC will determine the reopening of schools – Ogun

But the Ogun State Government says it will reopen schools in the state if the figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control show it is safe to do so.

The state government said this through the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Communications, Remmy Hazzan, on Sunday.

Hazzan said this while speaking to one of the correspondents on the situation of things in the state.

He said the January 18 earlier announced by the government for the resumption of schools in the state was tentative.

He said the government was not going to make a hasty decision on the resumption.

Hazzan said, “It is not something we want to rush. We want to observe the trend of the curve of COVID-19  especially the second wave.

“We will look at the statistics coming out of the NCDC and of course the state COVID-19 team, all that will help us empirically to say it is safe for schools to resume.

“And of course, that will not be without necessary additional protocols which are already on the ground.

“At this time, we are still observing the situation, in the shortest possible time, schools will reopen by the grace of God.”

On whether the schools will reopen as earlier announced, Hazzan said “that is tentative like I told you.”

The Anambra State Government had last week announced a new resumption date for primary and secondary schools in the state.

A statement by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Basic Education, Nwabueze Nwankwor said primary and post-primary schools in the state would reopen on January 18.

PUNCH