The Federal Government recently bowed to what could be termed as “negative pressure” from some self-centered Nigerians who criticised its decision to extend school resumption date across the country over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease EVD.
It is no longer a rumour or speculation that the Nigerian government had spent huge sum of money fighting the outbreak of the deadly disease after it was reportedly imported on July 20, 2014, by the late Liberian- American, Patrick Sawyer.
The virus, which according to the World Health Organisation have claimed the lives of over 2,296 people across the affected West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal and Nigeria, although only eight deaths have so far been recorded in Nigeria, while Liberia has been reportedly worse hit. It could have been worse in Nigeria if government had decided to adopt its old tradition of playing politics with issues that have grave effect on the lives of its citizenry.
However, following the episode of the short devastation recently posed by Ebola in the country, it became dawn on me that some Nigerians are good at crying foul over issues that have immerse positive impact on majority of the citizens based on personal interest. For example, the Ogun State chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) through its President, Dr Abayomi Jiboku, reacted negatively to federal government extension of schools resumption date, a move that was widely accepted by good hearted Nigerians, as it was believed that the decision was aimed at curtailing the further spread of the ravaging Ebola virus.
The private school association gave the federal government a ridiculous excuse, saying; “We are not going to gain by this extension. We don’t want the future of our children to be impaired. We should consider external examinations like WAEC and NECO. WAEC usually starts in March or April” Jiboku said. “Already we are talking about mass failure. Our children are lazying about. So, it is in the interest of all that schools resume as scheduled because failure will affect their performance.”
The lopsided reason, however, triggered me into reflecting on Nigerian tertiary institution students whose academic duration have been deliberately extended following ASUU and federal government fall out, which was obviously man mad and not an endemic like the subject matter.
The federal government in its usual “modus operandi” swept several Nigerians off their feet when the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau announced September 22, 2014, as the new resumption date instead of October 13, 2014, that was previously announced by him.
Naij.com in an interview with some parents to get reaction on government decision, one Mrs Stella Obawoye, who has three children in a public primary school in Abeokuta, was of the opinion that the decision was a good step in curtailing the deadly disease and that she was fully in support.
Another parent, Mr. Sylvester Akabogu, who supported Obawoye’s view, advised that health officials with the necessary equipment should be posted to schools upon resumption to carry out test on the pupils in order to ensure that no child with EVD is allowed to associate with other children.
Meanwhile, government rescinding of its decision is very appalling because Nigerians have experienced instances where the federal government makes a decision that did not augur well with the populace but remain adamant about it, a vivid example is the fuel subsidy removal of January 1, 2012, which sparked a nationwide protest across the country, in cities like Kano, Lagos, Abuja, as well as the Nigerian High Commission in London. The protest resulted to the deaths of sixteen Nigerians who were all shot dead by officials of the Nigeria Police Force.
Although the country’s health body, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had also condemned the new resumption date, Nigerians are still keeping their fingers crossed to see if the federal government would do the right thing by extending school resumption date, especially as most Nigerians think, believe and comprehend the fact that the decision is for the safety of our children and the general public, since majority of us are aware of how vulnerable children could be in the advent of an endemic like this.
