The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the Edo state government’s decision to indefinitely postpone the resumption of schools due to the fuel price hike.
News About Nigeria reports that the state’s opposition party described it as a “political gimmick.”
Recall that Ojo Akin-Longe, Edo Ministry of Education’s permanent secretary, had earlier announced the postponement of the September 9 resumption date via a memo.
However, Mr. Peter Uwadiae-Enosorogbe, the APC publicity secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the state government prioritises “politics over the education of children.”
Uwadiae-Enosorogbe said that the fuel price hike should not disrupt the educational system, as it is a recurring issue that does not warrant such drastic action.
“You cannot sacrifice the education pursuit of the children for fuel scarcity. It is not today we are having a hike in fuel prices. This cannot derail the educational system, NAN quoted him as saying.
He said that the decision was unreasonable and harmful to the interests of children, parents, and the educational system as a whole.
Uwadiae-Enosorogbe called for the reversal of the decision, citing the state’s poor performance in the recent WASSCE results, which ranked Edo 26th.
He questioned how the government planned to make up for the lost time, especially since parents were not complaining about the situation.
The APC spokesperson asked stakeholders to pressure the government to reopen schools, as it was illogical to keep children at home despite parents having paid school fees and purchased textbooks.
He said, “The children are eager to go back to classes to learn. So the government should not use political gimmickry to checkmate them.”
He concluded that the Edo government’s action was an aberration that needed to be addressed, as it was not in anyone’s best interest.
