Church, Govt bicker over reopening schools in Imo

Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri and the Imo State government are in disagreement over plans to reopen schools.

The church had scheduled Monday, September 28 to reopen mission primary and secondary schools, but the state government deferred all resumptions of schools.

It insists it must complete the ongoing COVID-19 testing in all the 27 local government areas of the state before any school could open for studies.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, the government noted that reports six out of the 27 local government areas of the State had discovered that out of over 1,000 tested only 24 were found to be positive.

The statement said that as a consequence of the ongoing community testing programme in Imo State, the planned resumption of schools should be delayed for a while to enable the testing go round in all the councils and the three senatorial districts in the state.

Also, a statement from the Commissioner for Education, Prof B.T.O Ikegwuoha, directed that no school, nursery, primary, secondary or tertiary is permitted to reopen in the state.

The statement said that the state ministry of health had been directed to conclude the COVID-19 community testing in all the 27 local government areas and the three senatorial districts in the state, stressing that the schools would be allowed to reopen based on the directive of the state government and upon positive report of the community testing.

But the church in a notice to parents, released by an official of the school, Sis Clare Marie Ukaegbu, said that while the education commission of the archdiocese was not unaware of the concerns raised by parents about the position of the government, it urged students to resume as scheduled as the “Archbishop, Anthony J.V. Obinna is having a robust engagement with the government on this.”

However, the fate of returning students, especially boarders, remains unknown.

Correspondents visited schools on Sunday and said some boarding students were already back to school and going through admission formalities.

It is not known whether they will continue or be asked to go home.