By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN—The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kwara state has said that teachers in the state will not resume  until all provisions to prevent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) are made by government.

This development is however against the directive of the state government that both public and private schools in the state resume Monday 22 September.

State Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Saka Onimago, had asked all schools to provide basic hygiene materials including washing bowls, soap and towels, just as the government directed two teachers from each school in the state to undergo training on Ebola Prevention, as soon as the Federal Ministries of Health and Education provide necessary facilities.

Hovewever, a statement signed by the NUT chairman, secretary and the publicity secretary in the state, Comrades Musa Abubakar, Ola Idris, and W. A. Jogbojogbo, respectively and made available to journalists in Ilorin last Friday said the union had noted the inadequate measures taken by the government so far in schools and was of the opinion that schools could not resume on Monday, September 22, 2014.

The union, which called on all stakeholders in the education sector to be proactive in tackling the Ebola scourge, appealed to government at all levels to use qualified health personnel to train teachers to forestall outbreak of EVD.

The union also said that hand sanitizers and infra-red thermometers should be provided in schools, adding that there was need for proactive measures in schools to safeguard health of teachers and pupils/students.

According to the statement,”Stakeholders should focus more on preventive measures so that there would be no epidemic in our state. Therefore, teachers shall not resume until all these provisions are made in our schools”.