Reps, Ministry, NMA Agree On Sept 22 Schools’ Resumption
Protest to the contrary notwithstanding, the Federal
Government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Monday agreed
that it is safe for public and private schools across the country to
resume for 2014/2015 academic session on September 22 as earlier
announced by government.
The agreement was reached in Abuja at a meeting between the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, and President of the NMA, Kayode Obembe.
All the parties made presentations at the meeting facilitated by the House Committee and at the end affirmed that the environment is safe for the schools to resume, contrary to earlier media report credited to the NMA.
Controversy over school resumption arose following outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country as a result of which government initially shifted the resumption to October 13 before later bringing it nearer to September 22 after a series of efforts to contain the infectious disease.
Speaking on the efforts so far, Shekarau described NMA’s earlier opposition to government’s position as uncivilised and that the association over-trivialised the issue by failing to consult with the Federal Ministry of Education on the matter.
The minister explained that the new resumption date was announced after satisfactory consultation with state Commissioners for Education, All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health.
He noted that Bauchi State has released huge sum of money as part of efforts to prevent the outbreak of EVD, while many state governments have improved water and sanitation situations in their domains.
Shekarau argued that the state governments have the sole responsibility of “putting the preventive machinery in place” as well as determine the number of weeks for the school calendar based on the minimum and maximum standard set by Federal Government.
In his presentation, the NMA chieftain, Obembe, who concurred with the new resumption date, however, faulted government for failing to consult the association before announcing it.
He commended efforts of various stakeholders in checking the scourge of EVD and safeguarding the victims, and called for proactive actions towards improving the health system.
“In order to keep our country free from any other entry/importation of this disease into our country, 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,” Obembe said.
He called for screening of all entrants into the country for fever as well as for countries of entry or recent travels before coming to Nigeria.
“All recent travellers to all the provinces of the current endemic countries of the Ebola disease – namely Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Gabon – must be carefully scrutinised for the presence of the virus and epidemiologically treated accordingly.”
He also called on all the state governments to resuscitate their infectious disease hospitals at the state headquarter towns and update them to be able to take care of any viral haemorrhagic fevers and other medical infectious disease emergencies.
“Three of these diseases are now endemic in the country – namely the very dangerous and close to Ebola Lassa fever, Yellow fever and Dengue fever and with Ebola threatening us from very close West African countries now.”
Obembe also urged political leaders to apply necessary non-partisan political will through appropriate employment, provision of facilities, remunerations and other conditions of service necessary for professional staff to effectively discharge their duties.
Source:dailyindependentnig
The agreement was reached in Abuja at a meeting between the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, and President of the NMA, Kayode Obembe.
All the parties made presentations at the meeting facilitated by the House Committee and at the end affirmed that the environment is safe for the schools to resume, contrary to earlier media report credited to the NMA.
Controversy over school resumption arose following outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country as a result of which government initially shifted the resumption to October 13 before later bringing it nearer to September 22 after a series of efforts to contain the infectious disease.
Speaking on the efforts so far, Shekarau described NMA’s earlier opposition to government’s position as uncivilised and that the association over-trivialised the issue by failing to consult with the Federal Ministry of Education on the matter.
The minister explained that the new resumption date was announced after satisfactory consultation with state Commissioners for Education, All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health.
He noted that Bauchi State has released huge sum of money as part of efforts to prevent the outbreak of EVD, while many state governments have improved water and sanitation situations in their domains.
Shekarau argued that the state governments have the sole responsibility of “putting the preventive machinery in place” as well as determine the number of weeks for the school calendar based on the minimum and maximum standard set by Federal Government.
In his presentation, the NMA chieftain, Obembe, who concurred with the new resumption date, however, faulted government for failing to consult the association before announcing it.
He commended efforts of various stakeholders in checking the scourge of EVD and safeguarding the victims, and called for proactive actions towards improving the health system.
“In order to keep our country free from any other entry/importation of this disease into our country, 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,” Obembe said.
He called for screening of all entrants into the country for fever as well as for countries of entry or recent travels before coming to Nigeria.
“All recent travellers to all the provinces of the current endemic countries of the Ebola disease – namely Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sudan and Gabon – must be carefully scrutinised for the presence of the virus and epidemiologically treated accordingly.”
He also called on all the state governments to resuscitate their infectious disease hospitals at the state headquarter towns and update them to be able to take care of any viral haemorrhagic fevers and other medical infectious disease emergencies.
“Three of these diseases are now endemic in the country – namely the very dangerous and close to Ebola Lassa fever, Yellow fever and Dengue fever and with Ebola threatening us from very close West African countries now.”
Obembe also urged political leaders to apply necessary non-partisan political will through appropriate employment, provision of facilities, remunerations and other conditions of service necessary for professional staff to effectively discharge their duties.
Source:dailyindependentnig
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