Ebola: Why schools must remain shut!

With the deadly Ebola virus in our land, the Federal Government had shifted the resumption of schools from its earlier September date to October 13.

It was the proper thing to do. But after its meeting on Wednesday the 3rd of September, it said schools may be able to resume in mid-September. Since the date was moved to October 13, private school owners have continued to lobby for resumption of schools. Nigeria is a land of lobbyists. But not only them; those parents who cannot spend quality time with their children also do it.


A colleague once said “private schools are paid to let parents rest”.  But while on my annual leave, I have enjoyed the “noise” of my two boys and watched both of them struggle to ride piggyback on me. They are safe here with me! But may not be if the Federal Government stops listening to its heart instead of its head!

 The health of our children and the entire nation is going to be sacrificed on the altar of money! If those private schools’ owners were given billions of naira monthly to keep their schools shut forever, they will go to the Caribbean for holiday while praising the government. We must know that the structure we have in privately owned schools is different from what we have in many public schools.

Many public schools in towns and some so-called cities are overcrowded ramshackle. Some don’t have seats, while others use blocks as desks! Some even have classes under a tree! Some of the children are malnourished with poor immune system. Some have ring worms on their scalp and many other skin infections. We have not talked about the ones in remote villages! These children will go back to schools when there are fresh Ebola cases! They will go back to schools when those under surveillance are on the run! Only a morally depraved government and people can even consider that! We are still lucky things did not get out of control. In worst-hit countries, it is not only schools that were closed but hospitals too.

 The word is eternal vigilance. Since my children have been at home they have not had a fever. But during school, they are more prone to diseases from other children, including malaria. As long as fresh cases of Ebola are being reported now, if schools resume now, you are no longer in control of your children. Every time your children get back home, it’s no longer the same! Whether we like it or not Ebola has tasked all of us and our healthcare system, and it will still have a long-term effect. We must all be ready to adjust ourselves to the situation we have in our land.

We now live in perilous times! From now till October 13, or even somewhere after that we would have known the prognosis of the new Ebola cases in Port Harcourt, and all those who are now under surveillance would have completed their statutory 21 days and we hope they would be truthful enough to tell us if they have visited other states! And those on the run would have come to their senses! Why the hurry to resume schools?  Even the health minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, warned: “We have not eliminated the disease! We have not eradicated it!” So far no child has contracted the Ebola virus. At least our tomorrow is preserved! But we can still keep them safer. With Ebola, you can never be too careful. 

Dr Cosmas Odoemena, medical practitioner, Lagos <Terafema.blogspot.com>