Nigerian Medical Association’s President, Professor Innocent Ujah, described the decision to reopen schools as being sentimental.
Professor Ujah, added that there was no data backing up the reopening of schools to ascertain which school is ready to reopen in line with the protocols.
The medical expert stated this while appearing as a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Monday.
He, however warned the the federal and state governments against disregarding medical experts’ advice on COVID-19.
“What lessons have we learnt one year after? If we say that students should go to school, what facilities have we put in place? Our problem is that we do a lot of talking doing very little. It is also true that we do not listen to experts. What we have been saying is that this coronavirus is totally unprepared for.
“We know that children will go to school, we know that they should maintain the NCDC protocols, but what have we done in the schools? Nigeria is an interesting country, full of contradictions.
“Whether it is private or public, an injury to one is an injury to all. What I know is that we have no statistics on schools that are ready. Whether it is private or public and what they should put in place.
“I think we are very sentimental in making this decision as a nation. Let us follow the advice of experts. While we are saying that schools should be reopened, we should be prepared and there should be monitoring and supervision. We talk and we don’t supervise,” he said.
InsideOjodu reports that nursery, primary and secondary schools in states like Lagos, Ogun, Ogun, Ebonyi and Nasarawa have resume academic activities today Monday, January 18 for the second term of the 2020/21 academic year.
The media outfit also report that the country’s COVID-19 total infection according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC now stands at 1,444, with fatalities of more than 1,400.