By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, on Thursday reaffirmed that all Public and Private Schools in the state are to resume academic activities on Monday January 18, 2021, and called on all relevant stakeholders to comply.
The Commissioner who made the announcement during a press briefing on Thursday in his office in Lokoja reiterated that all schools in the state both public private, should resume on Monday January 18, 2021, to continue the first term 2020/2021 academic session.
”It has become imperative for me to address the press this morning to clear the air, so as to prevent confusion on account of school resumption in Kogi State.”
”I will like to state unequivocally that resumption date for all schools and tertiary institutions in Kogi State remains 18th of January, 2021.”
The Commissioner said that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, had done a revised school academic calender to accommodate and cover up for the two weeks’ break extension, due to lockdown prompted by the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
He noted that schools in Kogi were initially scheduled to resume on January 4, 2021, for continuation of first term, but was extended by two weeks due to the general hardship in the country as a result of the second wave of Covid-19 lockdown, as advised by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19.
He added that His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello, had directed the ministry to comply with the two weeks break extension in the state as advised by the PTF.
”’The governor, thereafter, clearly stated that the state would not jeopardize the education of our children by extending school resumption beyond 18th of January, 2021.”
The Commissioner, therefore called on all Boards and Agencies under the Kogi State MOEST, and all relevant stakeholders to take note of the development and act accordingly.
”We are very hopeful that we would not suffer any death on account of Covid-19 in our schools; our State has remained Covid-19 free, and we thank God for the proactiveness of the pragmatic Governor that we have.”
