Ebola: Lagos ‘not sure’ of FG’s Sept 22 resumption for schools

September 10, 2014 9:55 am

The Lagos state government on Tuesday questioned the propriety of complying with the directive of the federal government that schools across the country should resume on September 22.

Addressing reporters on Tuesday, the state commissioner for health, Jide Idris, disclosed that the issue had been presented to the state executive council but a decision had not been reached.

“On the resumption date of schools, we in Lagos have not taken a position yet,” he said.

“The state government would soon come out on whether schools would resume on the date fixed by the federal government or not.”

The commissioner disclosed that measures were already in place to check the threats of the virus in schools, as the government had met with schools proprietors, school heads and teachers on what they needed do to eliminate Ebola threat in their respective schools.

He said the government was also providing pipe-borne water to schools and constructing toilet facilities in order to improve their sanitation.

Idris advised parents not to allow sick children attend school, as keeping away sick children and taking them to the hospital would help contain the disease.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) earlier opposed the resumption date, urging government to exercise patience until the country is wholly free of the virus.

“We are not happy with this decision on the resumption of schools. Schools should be shut till the last suspected case or patient is certified free of the virus,” Olawunmi Layaki, NMA’s national publicity secretary, said in a statement.

“We can shift the resumption date till next year or in the next three months if that is the time it will take. Government should leave enough time to follow the standard procedure for containing the virus. Children cannot survive isolation like adults.

“Nigeria is peculiar because of its large population and we should be pragmatic and proactive. It will not augur well for the country if we have another outbreak due to carelessness.”