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Teachers Won’t Resume If Ebola Preventive Materials Are Not Provided – Lagos NUT

The Nigerian Union of Teachers Lagos Chapter Chairman, Adesegun Raheem, has reiterated the union’s resolve that teachers would only resume school on September 22, as … Continue reading Teachers Won’t Resume If Ebola Preventive Materials Are Not Provided – Lagos NUT


Adesegun RaheemThe Nigerian Union of Teachers Lagos Chapter Chairman, Adesegun Raheem, has reiterated the union’s resolve that teachers would only resume school on September 22, as directed by the Federal Government, if preventive materials to reduce the risk of contacting the Ebola Virus Disease, were provided.

Appearing as a guest on Sunrise Daily on Friday, Raheem insisted that nothing had changed about the chapter’s decision to resume school on September 22.

“We actually spoke with the government and we reminded them of the meeting they had with the Minister for Education on the safety requirements and preventive gadgets that must be put in place in our schools, before school resumes,” he said, noting that “if those things are there, we will resume”.

He disclosed that a government official had contacted him to let him know that some of the gadgets would be distributed on Friday.

“We have sent our delegation down there to look into it and if they are distributed and are in their actual number, in the normal quantity, then we would call the head office to inform them and they will give us the go-ahead to actually resume.”

He noted that the Union had initially asked the Federal Government to constitute a stakeholders meeting which will have all those concerned in attendance and then, a comprehensive solution can be found to the problem.

“If they had prevented the situation from the beginning, the situation we are (in) now wouldn’t have been.”

He noted that the Lagos State government had provided some of the materials needed with further promise to provide the remaining facilities by Friday.

“They said they would provide some today. There’s still time. Today is Friday. Monday is about three days away. If they are provided and in their right quantity,” we will resume.

He stressed that hand gloves, sanitizers, running water, soap and infrared thermometer scanners are the major items that have been requested for.

Before now, the moment a child tells you, in school, he or she is sick, the first thing you want to do is feel the temperature and medical officials have told us that it is important that when somebody is sick, don’t touch. Don’t even move close, until that person is certified to be negative of Ebola Virus.”

He noted that the teachers and students also need enlightenment concerning the disease. This, he said would curb the spread of the fear of Ebola.

According to him, the Lagos state government had conducted about three seminars and some teachers were invited.

He also said that teachers have been designated as emergency desk officers in some schools.

There are about 1300 primary schools and about 500 secondary schools, owned by government in Lagos.