National Vice President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS, South-South, Dr Akpeme Ochukwu, has faulted the compulsory fumigation of schools before resumption as directed by the state governments, stressing that it does not kill COVID-19.

Recall that the Delta State government announced that final year students in secondary schools should resume academic activities to enable them prepare for their external exams ahead.

Akpeme who is the proprietor of Classical International School, Delta State, said that he sees no reason why the state government is saying that all schools must be fumigated knowing fully well that it has no correlation with COVID-19.

He lamented that since the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19, the Federal and state governments have not deemed it fit to assist private schools proprietors which he said have reduced the level of unemployment in the country.

“As a stakeholder in the education industry, and as someone who has travelled wide, I can tell you categorically that fumigation has no correlation with COVID-19. It does not kill COVID-19. So I see no reason why the government is emphasizing on it. I am doing it now just to fulfil all righteousness, if not I have done it before.

“One major challenge we have in private schools is the unseriousness and lack of concern by the government on affairs of private schools.

“The government has failed to realise that private schools’ pupils are Nigerians. For almost five months now since we closed our schools, the government has not done anything for us. I have friends in other parts of the world who are teachers in private schools. They were well taken care of by their governments during the lockdown.

“Like I keep telling people, if it were not for private schools, the unemployment rate in the country would have been worst than what we are having now.”

Some of the schools visited by our correspondent saw an average turnout of students and some of the teachers reporting early to schools. Vice Principal of Uwangwe Secondary School, Warri, Mr Benjamin Akpobasa, said they were ready for resumption of schools, noting that the state government has provided some of the things they needed for the schools to resume.

He said, “Government has provided some material like facemasks, detergents and hand sanitizers for us. Also, Dr Ochuko Ushure, Zonal Coordinator, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), Warri Zone said that the school had observed all the protocols provided by the government.

“We have buckets, water, soap, hand sanitisers at various locations in the school premises for the students to wash their hand. We also ensure that they maintain social distancing, before resumption, we ensure that the classrooms are clean with soap and water. (Vanguard)

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