The Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 , on Tuesday , said schools in the country will resume on January 18 until the Ministry of Education announces further directive.
PTF National Coordinator , Dr Sani Aliyu, stated this while featuring on a television programme monitored by the punch.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Minister of Education , Adamu Adamu , on Monday , said the Federal Government would review the January 18 earlier date fixed for resumption of schools across Nigeria.
The minister , who spoke at a PTF briefing in Abuja , attributed the decision to the second wave of COVID – 19 currently ravaging the country .
Speaking further on the issue on Tuesday , the PTF coordinator said the minister did not say the date has been changed .
Aliyu said , “ As regards schools , I just want to make a clarification , what the minister said yesterday was that they were going to review, he didn’t say that they were going to change the date. He said they will review the situation and let the nation know .
The National Association of Nigerian Students has urged the Federal Government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to resume academic activities at the nation ’ s public universities .
The students ’ body also ordered its chapters in all tertiary institutions to set up COVID – 19 task force teams to enforce all guidelines outlined by the Presidential Task Force on COVID -19 and ensure safe reopening of schools .
NANS President , Sunday Asefon , stated this in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that ASUU, on December 24 , 2020 , conditionally suspended its nine-month- long strike after a lot of foot -dragging by the union and the Federal Government.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 subsequently ordered schools to remain closed till January 18 , 2021 to contain the spike in COVID – 19 infections in the country . The National Universities Commission later asked universities to comply with the directive but the PTF on Monday said the January 18 date is subject to review .
University workers under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and Non -Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions on Tuesday protested what they described as the injustice of the Federal Government .
Among their grievances are the irregularities in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System and distribution of the earned allowances .
During the protest held at the entrance gate of the University of Abuja , the SSANU and NASU demanded that the government should pay them their minimum wage as promised and in conformity with what has been paid to other ministries since 2019 .
One of the leaders of the protesters ’ Branch Treasurer of NASU in UNIABUJA , Sadiat Hassan , said they would embark on strike if the government did not act accordingly .
She said, “ We are protesting against the irregularities in IPPIS payment and demanding the renegotiation of our 2009 agreement which has been long overdue .
Vice – Chancellors of some federal and state universities in Nigeria have expressed readiness to reopen schools .
Though the Academic Staff Union of Universities had said that varsities were not ready for reopening, the VCs said they had planned to reopen their institutions as directed by the Federal Government .
One of the VCs of a federal university in the South -West told our correspondent that it was wrong for ASUU to claim that there were no guidelines for reopening varsities .
Apart from the scare arising from the second wave of COVID – 19 , another VC said some of them ( VCs ) had planned to stagger resumption .
“ I think ASUU should begin to speak to facts . Inasmuch as we do not want the COVID – 19 outbreak on our campuses , we had our plans. Some academic activities can resume for classes with a few populations ,” one of the VCs told our correspondent on the telephone .
“ LASU recently held examinations for students in compliance with COVID -19 guidelines , and it went well . What do they mean by saying there is no guideline for reopening?” another VC queried.
What do you have to say concerning this?
