School principals under the aegis of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools on Thursday rejected the September 22 resumption date announced by the Federal Government.
The principals said there was no evidence that the government had implemented its promise of putting in place preventive measures against the fast spreading Ebola Virus Disease.
The National Secretary of ANCOPPS, Kevin Nwankwo, stated the position of the principals.
ANCOPPS has thus told the Federal Government to rescind its decision on the announced date.
Nwankwo said: “Our position is not different from the position of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.
“We need to take cognisance of the observation of the Nigeria Medical Association, saying that government was under pressure.
“As at yesterday, there was nothing to show that teachers are being trained.
“I am not aware of sanitisers or training in any school yet.
“The slated date for the teachers’ training is today (Thursday) but as at yesterday (Wednesday), there was nothing to show that anything would happen.
“There is simply nothing to show that we are ready to reopen schools yet.”
The Federal Government had earlier fixed the reopening of the schools for no earlier than October 13, 2014 owing to the spread into Nigeria of the EVD.
However, after a meeting of the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and Commissioners for Education of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the position was changed.
The change was believed to have been influenced by private school owners who were desirous of returning to school for profit taking.
Even the measures the Federal Government said it was going to put in place have not been implemented.
These include training of at least two teachers in both public and private schools across the country in the handling of suspected EVD cases and provision of equipment for testing for EVD.
This informed the position of the NMA, which said the time was not ripe to open the schools.
The NMA said the infection of a single pupil or student could spell disaster for the country.
The NUT also took the same position.
However, the Federal Government on Wednesday said there was no going back on the decision.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated the position of the Federal Government after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.
Chukwu said there was no single case of the EVD left in the country.
However, the Lagos State Government said it was not certain if it would allow schools in the state to resume.
Briefing newsmen on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said out of the 366 persons under observation in the state for the EVD, only 19 had been cleared.
Idris said the State Executive Council sould take a position on the issue.
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