The Imo State Government has announced Oct. 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.
Also read: Gov Emmanuel warns against violation of 8pm to 6am curfew
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 accomplice”.
He urged the public not to be deceived by the planned warning strike by the doctors.
Emelumba appealed to the doctors in the state, especially their leaders, to reconsider their stand on the planned warning strike and think of amicable resolution through dialogue with the appropriate representatives of the state government.
