The House of Representatives has faulted the Federal Government for giving schools the go-ahead to resume today, Monday , despite the increasing cases of COVID-19.
The House said government officials did not consult the relevant committees of the National Assembly, contrary to their claim that all relevant stakeholders were consulted before arriving at the January 18th resumption date.
Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, disclosed these in a telephone interview at the weekend It, therefore, demanded postponement of resumption for three months, as necessary safety measures weren’t put in place and in compliance with protocols.
Ihonvbere, in a statement he issued on behalf of his committee in Abuja on Saturday, opposed the Monday resumption date. “They did not consult us; at least in my committee, nobody from the ministry spoke to me. I have been in Abuja. And I am not sure that they spoke to any of my members. They just don’t see us as part of the critical stakeholders”, he said.
The statement, titled: “School resumption: Are we truly prepared?” read in part: “The Committee on Basic Education and Services, House of Representatives, has received with concern the decision of the Federal Government to reopen schools on January 18, 2021.
“We’re particularly concerned that when the infection rates hovered around 500 and under, schools were closed; but now that it hovers well above 1,000 infections daily, schools are being re-opened. Why are we rushing to reopen schools without adequate verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure our children?”, he queried.
