The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, have
threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the
Federal government does not shift the date of
resumption as well as put in place measures
that would protect their members from
contracting the deadly Ebola virus while
teaching in schools.
Speaking in a telephone interview with
Punch, the National President of the NUT,
Michael Alogba, said the union had taken a
decision not to allow any of its members go
into any school to teach if the eradication of
the deadly virus has not been scientifically
and medically proven.
"In any sane society, decision such as this
will not be taken until the government and
all stakeholders have met and discussed the
issue at stake and are sure that the nation is
scientifically and medical free from the
scourge. But this is not the case in our
country. When they arrived at the early
October 13 date, they wrote us and we
agreed with their argument but when this
new date was given, they did not because of
the influence of some powerful school
owners who put pressure on them (Federal
Government) to announce the September 22
date. Anyway, we have written to tell them
that if the Federal Government does not
shift the date and provide all necessary
safety measures in schools before Monday
next week, all NUT leaders will meet in
Abuja by 9am on Tuesday to decide our fate
by ourselves. Though I don’t want to
preempt the outcome of the meeting but as
teachers who have families and who should
protect our future, I mean our students, we
will shun the classes; we will call for strike.
What kind of government is this, don’t they
know that children can never be as hygienic
as adults? Don’t they know that the
immunity level of children is not as high as
that of adults? Why do you want to open
schools when you have not cleared out the
virus; when you still have about 400 people
under surveillance in Port Harcourt and
Lagos?
You are aware of what is happening at the
Obafemi Awolowo University. How are we
sure that there is no primary or secondary
school pupil that has had contact with an
Ebola patient. It’s good that the NMA
(Nigerian Medical Association) has spoken
and we have told them too that we would not
cooperate with them. That is why we are
going to take a drastic action on Tuesday to
protect ourselves and our children. I can tell
you that we will shun schools; we won’t
cooperate with them. In other words, we will
embark on strike.” he said
He warned that if by next Monday,
September 15th the Federal Government had
not extended the new date, the executive
council would meet by Tuesday 16th
September where a drastic decision would
be taken.
Meanwhile after the Federal Executive
Council meeting in Abuja yesterday the
Health Minister said there was no going back
on the resumption date. According to him,
there was no scientific basis for school
resumption date to be postponed
"First unlike other countries, there is no
community transmission of the disease in
Nigeria; not one yet. But we have taken
precautions, what we are doing, we may as
well have said everybody should just be
moving about, but we are taking
precautions. There is no scientific basis for
school resumption to be postponed. There is
no community transmission of the disease in
Nigeria. That is what separates Nigeria from
other countries. It is what I call irrational
fear; we don’t need to be irrational about
this.” he said
The Nigerian Medical Association as well as
the House of Representative Committee on
Education have spoken against the new
resumption date.

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