Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto States Shun FG’s Directive On School Resumption

On Sunday, state governments differed on the Federal Government’s order that schools in Nigeria should not resume till the 18th of January, 2021 in order to curb the second wave of Covid-19.

While states such as Lagos, Ekiti, Kogi, Anambra, and Plateau has agreed to resumption on the 18th of January, other states like Rivers, Cross River, Gombe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Delta and Oyo have ignored the order from the Federal Government.

As a result of the increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections, the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 at a press conference on the 21st of December 2020 had earlier announced that all schools in the country would remain shut till January 18.

According to the PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who addressed the press conference; ”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 Chairman, would include social distancing and installation of hand-washing machines.

The Cross-river state government however has insisted that the state would not change its decision on the January 11 resumption of schools.

According to the state Commissioner for Quality Education, ”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”.

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 been reversed.

”For now, the schools’s resumption date remains January 11”.

At the same time, Gombe, Zamfara, Abia, and Rivers states has also insisted on opening schools before the 18th of January.