Sunday Ani
The Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday directed members of its committee on Education to embark on facility tour of both public and private schools in the state to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 guidelines as they commence the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The House urged the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to direct the Health Commissioner, Professor Akin Abayomi to conduct test on the students to ascertain their status.
Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Yinka Ogundimu, representing Agege 2, who raised the issue under matter of urgent public importance, told the House why it was pertinent to visit the schools in the state.
“The Ministry came back to tell us that the schools have put in place necessary guidelines. The State has to comply with the directives of the Federal Government on school resumption for graduating students.
“Looking at the number of schools including the number of teachers and students, it is staggering. So, we need to monitor the examination that just commenced,” he stated.
Supporting the proposal, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa charged lawmakers to ensure that they visit schools within their constituencies during the ongoing examination.
In his contribution, Fatai Mojeed, representing Ibeju-Lekki urged the committee to extend the visit to private schools in the state.
The Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, representing Ikorodu 1, proposed that lawmakers should visit schools in their various constituencies while the education committee can do a random visit to the schools in the state.
Hakeem Sokunle, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1, while speaking said it was pertinent for the students to maintain physical distancing and adhere to other COVID-19 procedures.
Shokunle, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Health, suggested that the oversight function should involve the Health Committee, saying, “The report gathered before the school resumption was that necessary facilities had been put in place.”
Meanwhile, the House observed a minute silence in honour of the late Alhaji Lanre Razak aka KLM.
Razak, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), from Epe area of the state, died on Saturday, August 15, after a brief illness.
The Speaker then directed four lawmakers, including Mojeed, Abiodun Tobun and Raheem Kazeem, to be led by the Deputy Majority Leader, Noheem Adams to visit the family of the deceased and deliver a condolence message from the House.
The House later adjourned sitting to Monday, August 24, 2020.