By Susan Edeh

Bauchi—All public and private schools in Bauchi State, yesterday  resumed as directed by the Federal Government, with parents and guardians expressing great concern over non-availability of  Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, testing kits as promised by the state government.

The state government had ahead of yesterday resumption, promised to provide EVD testing kits in public and private schools, but many schools visited were yet to get the kits.
Among schools visited were Government Secondary School, Kofar Wumbai; Federal Government Girls College; Fariah Foundation School; Community Secondary School; Bigi Junior Secondary School, Divine International Academy amongst many others are yet to get the EVD testing kits and infra-red thermometers.

Already, parents and guardians have become apprehensive over the safety of their children and called for adequate measures or they would be forced to withdraw the children.

Mr. Gabriel Nwachukwu, a business man and a parent, said there was no need for the government to be in a hurry to call the children back to school without putting adequate preventive measures on ground, saying, “there is nothing wrong in waiting one more week or two to make available the necessary facilities that will ensure the protection of the lives of the students. It is so sad that the government has not even purchased the infrared thermometers on the resumption date. It is better for our children to spend two more weeks at home than rushing their resumption and have an epidemic. I don’t think the state is adequately prepared.”

Sule Abdullaziz, another parent said he did not allow his five children to resume school because they might be exposed to danger as he knew  government had not made adequate preparation by to prevent the spread of Ebola.

According to him, “I will not release them to go school for now because the children may be exposed to danger. These children are not conscious of any virus. They will innocently play together and they may, in the course of mingling together contact Ebola or any other disease.”