Richard Ginika Izuora
The Imo State Government has announced October 5 as the date for the resumption of schools in the state closed in March following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
This is contained in a press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Oguwike Nwachukwu, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Owerri.
According to the statement, the resumption was however subject to adherence to the recommendations of the committee enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols; headed by the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku.
Nwachukwu said that the state executive council also gave approval for the Imo state school system to be fully automated and digitalized; to capture pupils’ and students’ enrollment; teachers, pupils’ and students’ personal data; payment of school fees; examination details; and other relevant information concerning schools in Imo.
The statement quoted the Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, as saying that the reason for the automation was to make it easy for anyone to access information on schools; as well as data of anyone who passed through such schools.
Emelumba said that the Commissioner for Education would head the automation process.
The commissioner however expressed the regret of the government to the notice of a planned warning strike by doctors in Imo state.
He described the action as; “not only politically motivated but an intention to blackmail the government.”
According to him, the state government had been making “frantic efforts to sanitise the wrongs and rots; in the payroll system in the healthcare services where past administrations; civil and public servants have been found to be accomplices”.