The Nigerian Union of
Teachers, NUT, have threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the Federal
government does not shift the date of resumption as well as put in place
measures that would protect their members from contracting the deadly Ebola
virus while teaching in schools.
Speaking in a
telephone interview with Punch, the National President of the NUT, Michael
Alogba, said the union had taken a decision not to allow any of its members go
into any school to teach if the eradication of the deadly virus has not been
scientifically and medically proven. Continue...
"In
any sane society, decision such as this will not be taken until the government
and all stakeholders have met and discussed the issue at stake and are sure
that the nation is scientifically and medical free from the scourge. But this
is not the case in our country. When they arrived at the early October 13 date,
they wrote us and we agreed with their argument but when this new date was
given, they did not because of the influence of some powerful school owners who
put pressure on them (Federal Government) to announce the September 22 date.
Anyway, we have written to tell them that if the Federal Government
does not shift the date and provide all necessary safety measures in schools
before Monday next week, all NUT leaders will meet in Abuja by 9am on Tuesday
to decide our fate by ourselves. Though I don’t want to preempt the outcome of
the meeting but as teachers who have families and who should protect our
future, I mean our students, we will shun the classes; we will call for strike.
What kind of government is this, don’t they know that children can never be as
hygienic as adults? Don’t they know that the immunity level of children is not
as high as that of adults? Why do you want to open schools when you have not
cleared out the virus; when you still have about 400 people under surveillance
in Port Harcourt and Lagos? You are aware of what is happening at the Obafemi
Awolowo University. How are we sure that there is no primary or secondary
school pupil that has had contact with an Ebola patient.
It’s good
that the NMA (Nigerian Medical Association) has spoken and we have
told them too that we would not cooperate with them. That is why we
are going to take a drastic action on Tuesday to protect ourselves and our
children. I can tell you that we will shun schools; we won’t cooperate with
them. In other words, we will embark on strike.” he said
He warned that if by next Monday, September 15th the Federal
Government had not extended the new date, the executive council would meet by Tuesday
16th September where a drastic decision would be taken.
Meanwhile after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja
yesterday the Health Minister said there was no going back on the resumption
date. According to him, there was no scientific basis for school resumption
date to be postponed
"First unlike other countries, there is no community
transmission of the disease in Nigeria; not one yet. But we have taken
precautions, what we are doing, we may as well have said everybody should just
be moving about, but we are taking precautions. There is no scientific basis
for school resumption to be postponed. There is no community transmission of
the disease in Nigeria. That is what separates Nigeria from other countries. It
is what I call irrational fear; we don’t need to be irrational about this.” he
said
The Nigerian Medical Association as well as the House of
Representative Committee on Education have spoken against the new resumption
date.
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