The Kaduna State government says all schools in the state should remain closed, excluding Kaduna Polytechnic and the National Open University.

The state permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Phoebe Sukai Yayi, in a statement explained that the state government was yet to decide the exact date when schools will be opened.

The statement explained that the clarification became necessary, because of the federal government’s directive for schools to resume.

“We know that the federal government stated that schools can resume on Monday the 18 of January 2021 following the closure of schools last year due to the second wave of COVID- 19 but the situation is different in Kaduna State.

Mrs Phoebe explained that following the second wave, the state now has an increase in the number of confirmed cases.

The statement declared, “We want to make it categorically clear that, Kaduna State government is yet to fix a date for resumption to schools.”

It noted that as much as the federal government has declared 18 January as the date for resumption Kaduna State is yet to declare a date for resumption.

The statement pointed out that the government was still monitoring the situation and promised to make pronouncement regarding resumption in due course.

”Tomorrow, Monday, the Ministry of Education, would hold a stakeholders meeting, also the state ministry of health would brief on the COVID- 19 cases and take a position on how to advise the government.

The Permanent Secretary said the only exception they have, for now, are the National Open University of Nigeria and Kaduna Polytechnic who have specifically requested for them to open for students to write semester examinations only.

The statement explained that the government has inspected the school premises, confirmed their preparedness and satisfied all the protocols put in place and given them the approval to open for exams only.

It requested that state or federal Institutions in Kaduna State, hold on their activities until the government comes up with a clear date for resumption.

It said, “For Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, we are yet to receive any communication from them, so as far as we know, ABU Zaria is still closed until we receive a directive from Kaduna State government.”

ASUU Gives Update on Reopening of Universities

ToriNov 19, 2020Read original

Students hoping to go back to school in 2020 have been given an update by ASUU.

ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has said it is unsure of reopening universities this year.

This comes as talks between the Federal Government and ASUU continue to produce unproductive results.

ASUU also stated that FG was playing with future of Nigeria students, adding that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, cannot curb corruption in the university system as claimed by the government.

This was contained in a statement signed by Comrade Uzo Onyebinama, Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Port Harcourt zone, Comrade Emmanuel Akpan, Chairperson, Federal University Otuoke (FUO) Comrade Endurance Joseph, Chairperson, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Comrade Tonbara Kingdom, Chairperson, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island and Comrade Austen Sado, Chairperson, University of Port Harcourt.

Speaking for the zone in Port Harcourt, the zonal coordinator, Onyebinama, sad with the attitude of the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, that universities would not be able to resume again in 2020.

The union coordinator said it was painful that universities have lost two academic sessions, explaining that students admitted in this academic season were yet to take their first semester examinations.

He noted that the new set of students were already waiting to be admitted, adding that when school resumed it would be difficult to manage the situation.

He said:“His (Ngige) recent comments on Channels TV is a signal that Universities cannot reopen this 2020 and this government gambling with the future of Nigerian Youths.

“The handwriting has always been on the wall about the reluctance of this government to take necessary steps to ensure that our universities reopen this year.”

He stated that the IPPIS cannot stop corruption in the universities, stating that only Visitation Panels could do so.

Onyebinama said:“IPPIS is not the legal instrument for solving the problem of monumental fraud perpetrated by some administrators of the universities.

“IPPIS taxes rent subsidy, allowances for journals, conferences, hazard etc., as such and for instance, an Associate Professor at the bar pays a tax of about 672 thousand naira per annum.

“IPPIS breaches the due process for enrolment in the national housing scheme. IPPIS deducts pensions from the allowances earlier listed. IPPIS breaches university autonomy. IPPIS breaches the law.

“The legal instrument to probe corruption in the universities is the Visitation Panels. For almost a decade, ASUU has been clamouring for the constitution of visitation panels to federal universities.

“We are told that they are at the point of gazetting the panels for several weeks now. May they will need like another five years to do the gazetting.

He, however, advised the FG to work their talk by showing zero tolerance for corruption, even as he decried the proliferation of universities by state governors who could not sustain existing ones.

He said:“State governments are proliferating universities without adequate funding for already established ones. Most Vice -Chancellors of state universities are at the beck and call of their visitors, unable to take any decision without recourse to their visitors.”

“This struggle is not just for ASUU members. It belongs to the Nigerian people, the masses of this country. We are already down and he that is down has no reason to fear a fall. Let us all stand up for our public universities.”