Teachers threaten strike over schools’ resumption date

The Nigerian Union of Teachers has threatened to go on strike if the Federal Government fails to put in place measures to protect its members and pupils from contracting the deadly Ebola Virus Disease before the resumption of schools.

But the Federal Government says there is no going back on the date since there is no scientific basis for schools to remain shut beyond the September 22 resumption date announced by the Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau.

The NUT National President, Michael Alogba, in a telephone interview with Punch’s correspondent on Wednesday, stated that the union would not allow  any of its members to teach until it was scientifically and medically proven that the country was out of the Ebola scourge.

The Federal Government initially fixed October 13 as schools’ resumption date but it later announced the new date , saying that the country was almost Ebola-free.

But the new date drew criticism from doctors, activists and civil society groups who alleged that the government was stampeded into announcing it by some powerful school proprietors.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives directed its Committee on Education to take another look at the September 22 resumption date in view of the fact that the EVD had yet to be contained in the country.