COVID-19: We didn’t ask schools to reopen in November, says FG

The federal ministry of education says it has not released any statement announcing that schools will reopen in November as rumoured in some quarters.

Schools across the country have remained closed for several weeks as part of efforts to combat spread of the coronavirus pandemic with plans to organise e-learning presently being considered.

It was, however, rumoured in some quarters that the ministry had released a statement noting that schools will reopen in November.

Reacting to such claims in a statement on Wednesday, Ben Bem Goong, deputy director, press of the ministry, urged Nigerians to ignore such rumours.

“The federal ministry of education has disowned a press release circulating on multiple social media platforms, insinuating that schools will reopen in November 2020, describing the release as the handiwork of an illiterate, who, going by the content of his release also appears to be mental,” the statement read.

“The ministry is asking parents, students, and the general public to disregard the release in its entirety, adding that there is no iota of truth about the release.

“Efforts are on to track the author, and if found to be a normal human being, he or she will be prosecuted. For now, everything about the release points to a mental lunatic. The ministry will no longer take such information for granted, especially when it posses the capacity to mislead a large number of innocent Nigerians.”

Goong noted that the illogicality of the statement was indicative it could not have been issued by a sane person, adding that the ministry decided to respond because of the concerns raised by educational stakeholders.

“The said release is quoting the permanent secretary as giving an interview to Premium Times while at the same time, the minister is the one signing the press statement. Is the Hon minister the spokesman of the permanent secretary?,” he asked.

“Everything here points to insanity. Beyond the realm of insanity is the height of illiteracy. We could have ignored the release but for the massive calls from our education correspondents, parents, and other stakeholders expressing concerns.”