After the Federal Government was said to have handled the reopening of schools poorly, students of tertiary institutions have given the government a two-week period within which they expect a date for resumption to be fixed.
They have threatened to begin a protest against the ongoing closure of schools if government failed to meet the demands they have given within 14 days.
The groups, which include the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), National Association of University Students (NAUS) and National Association of Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), at a virtual meeting, decried Federal Government’s approach towards resumption of learning institutions in the country.
They also condemned the decision made by the government to pull out of the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASCCE).
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, was urged to reconsider participation of Nigerian students in the terminal examination, adding that WAEC could be taken, while observing social distancing and other safety protocols.
“It is hardly feasible that coronavirus may be eradicated in a fortnight and after months of observing several safety measures, there are little or no gains in the results so far recorded.
‘’Huge funds have been used to contain the spread of the virus, but we still have poorly equipped medical centres across the country,” they added.
They charged the government to stop the salaries of university teachers and other officials for advocating the continued closure of schools without coming up with solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Professor Peace Chinedum Babalola, has on his end advised the Federal Government to adopt ‘staggered’ reopening of schools.
Babalola spoke at the fifth matriculation ceremony of the institution, which was an online event.
Source:https://m.guardian.ng/news/students-give-fg-two-weeks-to-announce-schools-resumption-date/