We did not support Jan. 18 school resumption, says FG

The Federal Government yesterday said it was against the resumption of schools on January 18.

At the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the Federal Government did not agree with the states on the resumption date.

Adamu, who noted that the PTF would monitor the COVID-19 situation on a daily basis, said the school resumption could be reviewed again.

“We sat down, looked at the figures and we took the decision that schools should not open. Unfortunately, we have to state this because it is supposed to be a collective decision, but you must understand that the schools we’re talking about, the Federal Government has only about 100 out of thousands of schools.

“The schools are under the jurisdiction of states and just as the PTF was unanimous in saying that schools should not open, states were unanimous that schools should open. So, we have to compromise and as PTF we shall monitor what is happening on a daily basis. There could be some review again”, Adamu said.

It would be recalled that last Thursday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, had said in a statement that “after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, including state governors, commissioners of education, proprietors and heads of institutions, staff unions and students, the consensus of opinion is that the resumption date of 18th January should remain.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and PTF Chairman, Boss Mustapha, also said the school resumption would be reviewed due to rising daily numbers of infections and the challenges of case management, especially the shortage of oxygen.

Mustapha warned Nigerians to cooperate with the PTF to avoid a second lockdown in the country.