From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
There were strict compliance of Covid-19 protocol by primary and secondary schools including tertiary institutions which reopened for new academic sessions on Monday in Kogi State.
Our correspondent who went round some schools at lokoja the state capital observed that most teachers and students wore the face mask with adequate provisions of sanitizers , soap and running water made available at the entrance and strategic areas of the schools visited
The schools visited include Holy Trinity primary school, Crowther memorial college, Kogi State Polytechnic, Federal University and Harmony secondary schools all in lokoja
Meanwhile,the State Government has expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by schools who resume academic activities across the state.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after monitoring some schools in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
According to him, “so far, we are very pleased with compliance. Usually the first day of resumption wont attract so many students, but what we have seen here and the feelers we are getting across the state through my monitoring teams is very impressive and encouraging”.
He reiterated the government position that Kogi State is free from covid-19 pandemic.
The Commissioner averred further that, it is on record that no student had been reported to contract corona virus or had lost their lives when schools resumed some months back in the state.
He maintained that the ministry will ensure that schools observe the safety protocols of Covid-19 set aside by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
” We have done this before, even when the whole country was locked down for months. We were able to resume and our schools resume and there was no panic any where in the state. It is on record that no student has died of corona virus on account of corona virus. I don’t have any such report.
” I believe that the situation is even milder because, if it were to be worst, the presidential task force on covid-19 will not direct States across the federation to open Schools. If the situation were to be that terrible, the directive would have been otherwise. So far, so good we are satisfied with what we have seen ” he stated.
The commissioner said ome of the schools he visited in Lokoja includes Bishop Delisle College, Crowder Memorial College, St Luke Adankolo, UBE Junior Secondary School Adankolo, St Clement Minor Seminary, Government Day Secondary School School, Adankolo, Muslim community Secondary School.
Speaking in a separate interviews, the Principals of Bishop Delisle College, Lokoja, Mrs Mary Bola Boro and the Principal, Crowder Memorial College, Mabel Ogunmola were both impressed witt the turn out of students in their first day in School.
They said, the students have been told to always observe social distancing, put on their face mask, make use of hand sanitizers and always watch their hands with soap and water.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Chairman, Academic Staffs Union of Secondary Schools, (ASUSS), Comrade Ranti Ojo has berated some states who had failed to resume schools over fear of further spread of covid-19 in the country.
Ojo, while speaking to our Correspondent on Monday said it will be further disastrous to close schools in the country, as the nations educational system is crumbling down gradually due to the ravaging corona virus pandemic.
He maintained that, if other agencies in the country are functioning effectively in the wave of the pandemic, it will be disheartening and dis-service to the future of Nigerian students if the government continue to close schools after wasting a whole academic session.