by Damilare Obansere
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and
the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN)
have agreed with the Nigerian government’s plan to reopen schools on
September 22 instead of the previously announced October 12 resumption
date.
Addressing newsmen at the end of an
emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association, AMLSN
president, Dr. Godswill Okara said the Nigerian government through the Federal
Ministry of Health had taken the right steps in reopening the schools.
“We would like everyone to know that the
Nigerian Union off Teachers (NUT) is not responsible for the healthcare of
the nation,” Okara said in Abuja.
In a related development, the Nigerian
Medical Association (NMA) which had earlier opposed the decision of the
Nigerian government to reopen has now agreed with the federal government of
Nigeria on theSeptember 22 resumption date for all public and private schools
across the country.
At the meeting held at the instance of the
House Committee on Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, minister of education and
Kayode Obembe, the NMA president, in different presentations
affirmed that the environment is safe for the schools to resume, contrary to
media reports credited to the NMA.
Obembe while agreeing with the new
resumption date faulted government for failing to consult with the association
before announcing the new resumption date. He lauded efforts of
various stakeholders in checking the scourge of EVD and safeguarding the
victims.
He said, “In order to keep our country free
from any other entry/importation of this disease, we must
maintain informed, educated and reasonably eternal vigilance over the
matter and avoid all behaviours based on rumours and lies or other acts of
ignorance or wickedness.
“In this regard, all Nigerians must be
warned against all rumours and that they must never spread nor act on any
information about any of the haemorrhagic disease (or any disease for
that matter) without due verification from a properly and professionally
educated person and who has been authorised to speak on the subject
matter by the federal or state governments or a competent professional
body as the NMA.
“In regard of the issue of school
resumption for the first term of the 2014/2015 academic year this September, it
is important that in order not to feed into the unhealthy fear monster in
the country, schools should resume but efforts should be geared towards
putting the following in place.”
Commenting on the decision of the Nigerian
government to reopen schools, health minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu said
there was no reason why schools should not reopen on September 22.
He said: “It is for the commissioners of
education to advise the principals, at least for public schools, as
well as private schools on when they can reopen. The ministry of health is
like what the weather people are to the nation.
“They will tell you that the weather will
be sunny, stormy or there will be heavy downpour, but they can never
directly, for example, stop any plane from flying.
“It is for the aviation people to take the
advice and combine with other factors to decide whether flights will take
off or not.”
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos,
Chukwu said from the technical point of view, there is absolutely no reason why
any school, except if they have other problems that are not medical, cannot
reopen.
“So, when the minister of education,
working with the commissioners of education, said they have revised the
opening of schools from 13th Oct to 22nd of Sept., we have nothing against
that.
“If we did, we would have objected or let
them know,’’ he said.
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