Follow Us on Google
Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Despite the call by the House of Representatives on President, Muhammadu Buhari to order a partial reopening of schools to allow pupils sit for the 2020 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, the federal government has said it doesn’t feel its safe to do so.
Minister of State-Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba states this while briefing State House Correspondents, at the end of the eighth virtual Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by President Buhari.
The Minister said the Ministry considered reopening schools and allowing academic activities, including writing examinations, to resume now as too risky, considering the rising spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in the country.
Nwajiuba said government’s position on the resumption of schools remains the same, as it is still meeting with stakeholders in the education sector, to chart the way forward.
“We are still meeting with parents over that, we are not confident yet that everywhere is safe, the number of COVID-19 infections from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) are still very alarming and we have presented this to parents and all stakeholders in the education eco system.
“We are still meeting with them; in fact, there is a stakeholder meeting slated for Monday next week,” he said.
He said the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is also consulting and looking at a possible change of date for final year exams for secondary school leavers.
According to Nwajiuba, “WAEC on its own part is also negotiating with other West African countries to look at possible shift in date and once they are through with that meeting and hopefully when we are also through with the consultations, if there is any change in the ministry’s position, we will communicate.”
The Minister stressed that the remark made by Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu last week, is still the position of the ministry until further notice.
Meanwhile, the Council has approved the sum of N136 million for the procurement of theatre seats and computers for the University of Benin in Edo State.
Nwajiuba said: “We submitted a memo on behalf of the University of Benin, for the procurement and installation of theatre seats and computers for work in the auditorium of the University of Benin.
“The project is being funded by the 2019 Tertiary Education funds allocated to the school in the sum of N136 million and the contract was approved by FEC as proposed by the University of Benin and they will now proceed with the procurement.”
He said the contract would be funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
Minister of Environment, Muhammad Mahmood, said the council approved Solid Waste Management Policy.
He said the policy is to provide a framework for a comprehensive integrated solid waste management in which the federal, state and local governments, MDAs, institutions, NGOs will all be part of.
He said this is something that needs a coordinated effort which will mean healthier people as well as create jobs.
He said: “Wastes is no longer wastes but resources. We consider it a resource you can recycle, ultimately the garbage can be turned to other things. “We have a recycling plant in Karu and the pallets produced can be used to make interlocks and to many other things.
That is why we need this comprehensive waste management plan which has been graciously approved. The next thing is the implementation. “The implementation will require the impute if everybody. Waste Management as we all know is on concurrent list, meaning the federal, states can make laws and local government can make by-laws. The federal government will provide all the framework necessary to undertake all these management.
“This was put together by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders.
“With this a lot of jobs will be created from the recycling plant, we will also be inviting the private sector to come and invest.”
—
