The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun State, on Monday, urged the state government to reverse the directive asking Senior Secondary Students (SSS) in private school boarding facilities to pay N25, 000 for COVID-19 and malaria tests, as one of the conditions of returning to school for their examinations.
The congress, in a statement e-signed by the state chairman and acting State Secretary, Comrades Emmanuel Bankole and Olatunji Ayuba respectively, said no student in the state should be discriminated against on the basis of attending private school.
It described the directive as shocking and an action which portrayed the government of the day as insensitive to the plight of the citizenry.
The statement reads partly, “The attention of Nigeria Labour Congress has been drawn to the directive by Ogun State Government directing SSS3 boarding students in Private Secondary schools in the state to undergo a compulsory COVID-19 test at the cost of Twenty-Five Thousand (#25,000.00) Naira while government bears the cost of students in Public Secondary Schools.
“The congress is shocked, that the State Government can contemplate any measure or policy that will further add to the burden of the citizens and parents in this instance, bearing in mind the socio-economic which Nigerians are grappling with as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“The action of the government portrayed her as being insensitive to the plight of its citizens, especially when we compare this with what is done in other climes, where their governments introduced many palliative measures and even cash grant to families, to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
“We, therefore, condemn in strong terms, the introduction of dichotomy and discriminating policies between students of public and private schools in the state, as we found no moral justification whatsoever for this practice.
“If testing for COVID-19 must be done for any category of students, it should be free for all students irrespective of whether they are in public or private schools.
“We hereby call on His Excellency, the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR, to immediately step-in-to the matter and direct immediate reversal of this directive, and ensure that no student in the state is discriminated against on the basis of attending private school.
“We also call on the government to be alive to its responsibilities by ensuring adequate provision of necessary tools, equipment and other consumables for safe re-opening of schools, this call becomes imperative to maintain and promote the existing industrial peace and harmony in the state.”
It is meant to serve Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, and Niger States. These are…
He has strongly denied all accusations.
“Most prophecies of the cleric are always targeting people in positions of authority so that…
A United Kingdom-based human rights lawyer, Barrister Njoku Jude Njoku, has accused the Nigerian government…
Delta state police commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda, has ordered that a query be issued to a…
In a rare display of commitment to educational advancement, Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central,…
This website uses cookies.