By Our Reporter
In what can be described as a U-turn, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Friday, announced an indefinite postponement of school resumption, after discrediting a media report that quoted Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i making the announcement.
The statement on Friday, jointly signed by Commissioner of Education, Shehu Usman Muhammad, and Commissioner of Internal Security & Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan, cited “Military operations” and “slow infrastructure projects in high-risk areas,” as reasons for the delay in the school resumption.
Parts of their statement reads, “As the security operations proceed, the Kaduna State Government has been advised to postpone the resumption of schools, previously scheduled for 9th August 2021, and to pause the continuation of infrastructure projects and construction in high-risk areas, while awaiting further assessments by the security agencies.
“The Kaduna State Government has accepted the security advisory, and hereby directs total compliance by all schools, and agencies involved in delivering infrastructure projects in high-risk areas. New dates for school resumption will be announced based on security assessments,”
Last week, a media report by Channels Television has quoted Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i announcing delay in school, in a he had meeting with stakeholders, including leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), but Kaduna State Commissioner for Education issued a statement, describing the media report as fake news.
Channels TV Report
The Channels TV news report partly reads, “Addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday, Governor Nasir El-Rufai explained that the government took the decision due to the ongoing aggressive military operation against bandits in most parts of the state.
“He informed the meeting attended by members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), as well as professional and community-based associations that the operation was aimed at flushing the bandits out from their hideouts.
“Governor El-Rufai added that the government was committed to protecting vulnerable children from being attacked by fleeing bandits who were already feeling the superior firepower of the military.
“He revealed that the military has deployed more troops to the state for the operation and warned the residents to be vigilant and mindful of unknown faces in their midst, saying fleeing bandits might infiltrate their communities.
“While wishing the military and security agencies resounding success against the bandits, KDSG appeals for the understanding of all citizens for any inconvenience and urges all residents to be patient and to report any security issues to the security agencies.”
Ministry of Education Statement
The Commissioner for Education, Shehu Muhammad, in a statement issued in Kaduna, described the information as fake news.
His statement read in parts, “The attention of the Kaduna State Ministry of Education has been drawn to a fake news report in circulation, alleging that the government has suspended the resumption of schools across the state indefinitely.
“The purported report attributed to Nasir El-Rufai declares that the governor made the declaration while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday.
“That the resumption is suspended due to the ongoing aggressive military operation against bandits in most parts of the state.
“The Ministry of Education wishes to inform the public that the information is false and lacks any basis as the governor was neither in a meeting with stakeholders, nor made any disclosure of such nature to anyone,” the statement said.
The Situation
The Ministry had in a statement on July 15, announced that schools would close for three weeks beginning July 16 and resume for third term in the first week of August.
It was to enable the state government to review the 2020/2021 Academic Calendar for normal school activities to continue afterward.
Schools in Kaduna State are behind schedule in the academic calendar compared with schools in other states of Nigeria. When schools reopen in the state, it will be for third term, while the first term of a new academic year would have started in other states.
