NBA warns oyo governor over reopening of schools

NBA warns oyo state governor over reopening of schools  

The  Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch, has advised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to rescind his directive on the resumption of pupils and students in Primary 6, Junior Secondary School Class 3 and Senior Secondary School Class 3 for academic activities on Monday, 29 June 2020.

The association through its Chairman, Oluwole Akintayo and the Secretary, Akeem Okelola said though the rationale for the resumption of the above categories of students is to enhance their preparation for forthcoming state and national examinations, they advised the governor to realise that the state had recorded 575 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 242 recoveries and 7 deaths.”

“We must state that the comparatively low figures above are due to the mercy of God and are direct consequences of the proactive steps taken by the State Government to curb the spread of the deadly disease”.

”The new directive for the resumption of pupils in final classes in primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools is predicated on the assumption that in the next two weeks Covid-19 would have been eliminated or reduced to the barest level. This may be a very ambitious expectation.”

“The Government of Oyo State has in the past year invested heavily in education and it is of utmost importance that this huge investment is complemented by policies that focus on the best interest of children”.

“It is our considered view, and judicial authorities have confirmed this position by recognizing the presumption, that children are naturally playful. One may be demanding too much from them to observe necessary safety precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”