As part of social distancing measures to help curtail the person-to-person transmission of the deadly coronavirus in the country, the Federal Government has ordered the closure of all Federal Universities and 104 Unity Schools in the country.
The Federal Ministry of Education in a statement issued yesterday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the directive will come into effect from March 26, 2020, the said
Adamu mandated all the principals of the unity colleges to fast track the on-going second term examinations and close the schools until further notice.
It urged the management of all the unity colleges to immediately activate necessary emergency procedures and processes such as the provision of alcohol-based sanitisers, and hand-washing facilities among others and also called on students to strictly adhere to the principles and best practices of good hygiene.
The statement also directed the principals to immediately report any suspicious case to the nearest health authorities.
Also, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, said that the decision to close down the schools was to protect students/pupils from the COVID-19 scourge.
Already some state governments and the management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have closed down school and the scheme to check the spread of the virus.
Echono said: “We have directed all higher institutions to close this weekend. Unity Schools that have completed their exams are to close immediately. Others are to hurry and close the latest on 26th March.”
The Lagos State government has also closed down schools in the state.
An official of the ministry of education said that the government is assessing the situation, adding that on Sunday, a decision would be taken whether to shut down all the tertiary institutions of learning, meanwhile primary and secondary schools will be shut from Monday.
The Enugu State government has also directed public and private primary and secondary schools in the state to conclude all activities in their schools and shut down on or before Friday, March 27, 2020.
The secretary to the state government (SSG), Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, announced the decision in a statement yesterday.
The state government enjoined teachers and students to continue to observe the School Water Sanitisation and Hygiene Programme (WASH) in the state.
It also enjoined them to observe other standard personal hygiene protocols for the prevention of COVID-19 infection.
Similarly, the Benue State government has ordered the closure of all schools in the state by Friday, 27th March 2020, as part of measures to nib in the bud the spread COVID-19.
Briefing journalists after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting yesterday, the commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, said that all schools in the state had been directed to conclude their examinations on or before Friday next week and proceed on holidays.
The commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, said that Benue has established an isolation centre at the state University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi, while working with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to be on the alert in the event that any of those in contact with the eight positive cases in the country has made their way into the state.
In the same vein, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed both public and private schools in Abuja to shut down till further notice.
The minister of state for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, gave the directive in Abuja yesterday during a meeting with heads of secretariats, departments, and agencies (SDAs) under her supervision.
She also directed that social gatherings and worship centres should be restricted to avoid large gatherings that could further endanger the health of others.
Aliyu also directed that shop owners who fail to provide hand sanitisers and other preventive measures be closed down indefinitely.
A statement by the special assistant to the FCT minister of state, Austine Elemue, added that the acting executive secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board (PHCB), Dr. Iwot Ndaeyo, would mobilise all the stakeholders in the rural communities to drive the campaign.
