Obaseki - JSS3, SS3 students are priority in Edo

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has insinuated that the JSS3 and SS3 students in the state will be given top priority when schools reopen.

Schools in the state were shut in March as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease.

But in a statement on Sunday, the governor said the state government was liaising with the Federal Ministry of Education to develop guidelines for the reopening of schools. He said, 

“Schools remain closed, however, guidelines for phased reopening are being developed together with the Federal Ministry of Education especially for students in JSS 3 and SS 3 who are preparing for their exit examinations.

I encourage all Edo parents and guardians of pupils in primary schools, to continue to utilize our e-learning platforms for their educational needs, while they are still at home.”

Obaseki noted that preparations were on for churches and mosques to reopen in the state, stressing that contact tracing of COVID-19 suspected cases would be extended to worship centres.

“Following consultations with the Christian Association of Nigeria and religious bodies, we will commence a reopening of places of worship. We are expanding screening and testing to religious groups/organisations and business establishments. 

We call on all religious organisations, corporate bodies, and health facilities to assist us drive modalities for our new norm and cooperate with the designated health and security agencies in this regard,” he added.

The governor emphasised that the 10pm to 4am curfew as directed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 subsist in Edo state.

Borno : Governor orders reopening of schools

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has given orders for the reopening of three secondary schools in Bama Local Government.

In a press statement which was issued by the state government, the governor was quoted to have given the order during his visit to the area to distribute food and other items “to those in critical need”.

After the distribution, Zulum announced the reopening of three secondary schools in Bama, saying it was to enable pupils to continue with their education. Zulum said,

“I will soon come back to Bama, I will personally supervise the enrollment of students. We have to reopen Government Day Secondary School, the mega school will also be converted to a Secondary School, while a girls’ Secondary School will be cited in Shettimari Primary School temporarily”.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced 663 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the number of confirmed infections in the country to 13,464.

This is the highest single-day infection to be recorded in the country.

Borno has 136 active COVID-19 cases while nine patients have died of coronavirus-related cases.

Data from the centre showed that Lagos, Ogun, and Bauchi recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. It said, 

“On the 9th of June 2020, 663 new confirmed cases and 4 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.

No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

Till date, 13464 cases have been confirmed, 4206 cases have been discharged and 365 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The 663 new cases are reported from 26 states- Lagos (170), Ogun (108), Bauchi (69), Ebonyi (49), Edo (33), Rivers (30), FCT (26), Jigawa (26), Delta (20), Anambra (17), Gombe (16), Kano (16), Imo (15), Abia (14), Borno (11), Oyo (11), Plateau (8), Kebbi (6), Kaduna (6), Ondo (4), Niger (2), Katsina (2), Osun (1), Ekiti (1), Kwara (1), Nasarawa (1).”

No school reopening date yet - Minister of State for Education

On Monday, Mr Emeka Nwajiuba, the Minister of State for Education said that there has been no fixed date for the reopening of schools across the country.

He made this known at the Presidential Task Force Committee on COVID-19 daily news conference in Abuja. The minister said that the rumours making the rounds that schools would reopen on June 21 is fake and did not emanate from the ministry.

He added that any news about the reopening of schools would be communicated through the PTF, adding that it was not possible to release a date without the input of the PTF.

He said that the reopening of schools would involve the advice of experts on when it would be safer to reopen schools, stressing that government would avoid the mistake of “shipping the students in and out of school.” 

The minister said that the ministry would not lead Nigerians into danger because it was in a hurry to reopen schools, adding that it would only reopen them when it was convinced that it was safe to reopen schools across the country. 

“Of all the things I will love to do, is that l will not want to experiment with our children. What we are planning is to bring those that will be exiting from Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary and those who will be writing the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to come for their examinations.

We are, however, looking at when the inter-state lockdown will be reopened so that the students can move to their schools to write their exams,” he said.

He said that the ministry was studying the time-table to know when it would be convenient as soon as there was ease on inter-state lockdown. He urged students and parents to be wary of fake news peddlers.

He said that once the ministry is convinced that it is convenient for the students to move to their schools to write their examinations, it would communicate the date to their parents and the public.

School reopening : FG to release guidelines

The Federal Government has said it would roll out the course of action for the reopening of schools in the country.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, stated this during a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.

While congratulating children in the country on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation urged stakeholders to begin to take steps that would aid the reopening of schools in the country. He said,

“I wish to inform Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education will roll out measures for the self-reopening of schools.

The Presidential Task Force wishes to use the occasion of this celebration to congratulate our children and assure them, their parents and all stakeholders alike that all hands are on deck to reopen schools at a safe time.

We, therefore, use this medium to urge states, local governments, proprietors and all other stakeholders to begin to take steps that will facilitate an early and safe reopening.”