Continuous School Closure is More Tragic than COVID-19 – NNPP

By Our Reporter

The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has described continous closure of schools in the country as insensitive saying that it was more tragic than COVID-19 itself.

The party berated the All Progressives Congress, APC, led government stressing that “high and ranking personalities in Nigeria still hold occasions with large gathering, elections can hold both in Edo and Ondo States and the president of Nigeria can resume his foreign trip” but the government locked up the school’s.

In a press statement issued on Thursday by the party and signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Rev Emmanuel Olorunmagba, NNPP said that lack of proactive measures early led to the geometrical increase in the infection in the country.

The statement reads:

“The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has deccried the continuous lockdown of schools in Nigeria, describing it as more tragic than the fear of Coronavirus Covid-19 that initially led to the closure.

“The party, first, commends the initial order for the suspension of public gathering including closure of schools in oder to contain the spread of the avoidable Covid-19. It, however, notes that if the government had been proactive in closing all borders on time as preventive measures, when many notable Nigerians including NNPP were raising alarm, the pandemic wouldn’t have even been imported into Nigeria in the first place.

“But, if markets and shopping centers can be allowed to open, the high and ranking personalities in Nigeria still hold occasions with large gathering, elections can hold both in Edo and Ondo States and the president of Nigeria can resume his foreign trip, then the continual closure of both private and public schools, which can easily be made to operate strictly under Covid-19 safety compliance, is beginning to portray the present administration as if they place low value on education and by implications, cares less for the future of our coming generation.

“It’s so pathetic that children have been out of school for long, resulting in gradual loose of interest in studies. And many private school teachers are becoming vulnerable with their families going hungry, since they have been forced out of job without palliative to cushion the effects. Yet, the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown have been so terrible on both the economy of the country and personal businesses. Hence, it’s difficult for most of those private school teachers to get other sources of income to cater for their families. Is it until the family members of private school teachers are beginning to die of starvation before the government will do something?”

NNPP called on the federal as well as the various state governments to look into the issue of reopening of schools, but with measures to ensure Covid-19 safety compliance as a matter of urgency.