“The health staff, particularly in boarding schools, must be trained and provided with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

“There must be appropriate waste management systems.

“Health facilities that are within the schools that serve the schools should have the ability to cater for an outbreak and a response protocol must be in place for these schools for students who test positive. In this regard, it is important to involve their parents and make sure that parents have signed consent forms in advance.

“Schools should also work in synergy with the local government rapid response teams and collaborate with the state ministries of health on planning, implementation and reopening of schools.

“We encourage schools to consider creative solutions to abide by these guidelines.”

On his part, the PTF Chairman, Boss Mustapha, stressed that states have the responsibility to ensure the safe reopening of schools.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said, “The Federal Government has just 105 schools all over the nation that are reopening. Over 18,000 schools do not belong to the Federal Government; they belong to states and private proprietors.

“The control of schools in the state, particularly primary and secondary schools, is the responsibility of the state government. They are supposed to ensure compliance.

“Different states fixed different dates for the reopening of schools. So, the responsibility of ensuring that these schools comply with the guidelines is vested on state and local government authorities and that we expect they will do.”

Two lawyers, Adekunle Augustine and Semion Akogwu, have gone before the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking an order disbanding the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to look into complaints of human rights abuses by men of the disbanded police Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The judicial panel, headed by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, also has the mandate to probe the alleged shootings at #EndSARS protesters by soldiers on the night of October 20 at the Lekki tollgate.

But the lawyers, in their fresh suit, are asking the court to disband the panel and nullify all its proceedings so far.

The plaintiffs are contending that since the soldiers who allegedly shot at #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate were invited by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the same governor cannot set up a panel to probe the incident.

According to the lawyers, the setting up of the judicial panel is in conflict with the provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Governor of Lagos State; Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS-Related Abuses in Lagos State and Lekki Tollgate Incident; the panel’s chairman; and the Attorney General of Lagos State.

The plaintiffs are contending that the setting up of the panel by the governor was “tantamount to making the governor a judge in his own cause and ipso facto breaches the plaintiffs rights to fair hearing.”

They are seeking “an order of this honourable court disbanding the 3rd defendant (panel) and nullifying its proceedings and whatsoever actions taken thereby so far, to give way for a credible and independent commission of inquiry to be set up by the Federal Government to take over the mandate of the 3rd defendant as contemplated by its establishment abi nitio.”

The court has yet to fix a hearing date for the suit.