By Olanrewaju Adesanya
SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, Aug 19, 2020 Lagos State House of Assembly has directed its committee on Education to embark on facility tour of both public and private schools to ascertain they are complying with laid down COVID-19 protocols.
This, it said is to forestall any surge of the Coronavirus pandemic among the students who are presently writing their WASSCE.
The House also called on the state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi to conduct test on the students to affirm their status.
Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, representing Agege 2, who raised the concern under matter of urgent public importance, told the House why it was germane to visit the schools across the state.
According to him, the Ministry had informed the lawmakers of its preparedness and compliance to all necessary guidelines. The State had to comply with the directives of the Federal Government on the resumption of students.
Ogundimu said looking at the number of schools including the number of teachers and students, it is staggering. “We need to monitor the examination that just commenced,” he added.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who supported the proposal, said the schools in the state should be able to maintain physical distancing since other students were yet to resume.
He concurred that lawmakers should visit the schools within their constituencies during the ongoing examination.
In his submission, Hon. Fatai Mojeed, representing Ibeju-Lekki 1 said that the committee should extend the visit to other private schools in the state.
In the same vein, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, representing Ikorodu 1, proposed that lawmakers should visit schools in their various constituencies while the education committee can do a random visit to the schools in the state.
“The proposal of the committee is very good and we recognise that schools cannot close indefinitely.
“Lawmakers can visit the schools within their constituencies. Human beings are funny, schools might comply with the rules when they resume and relax later,” he said.
Hon. Hakeem Sokunle, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1, in his own contributions noted that it is of utmost importance that the students maintain physical distancing and adhere strictly to other COVID-19 precautionary measures.
Sokunle, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, suggested that the oversight function should involve the Health Committee.
He said that the report gathered before the school resumption was that necessary facilities had been put in place.
Hon. Adedamola Kasumu representing Ikeja 1, said that the committee should inform the Ministry of Education to notify the parents of the need to ensure the provision of safety equipment for their children.
Hon. Temitope Adewale who represents Ifako Ijaiye 1, complained about the deplorable state of infrastructure in the schools.
He also canvassed that they should look for possible means to test the students.
Meanwhile, the House observed a minute silence in honour of the late Alhaji Lanre Razak aka KLM.
Razak, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) from Epe Division of the state, died on Saturday 15th August after a brief illness.
The Speaker then directed four lawmakers, including Hon. Fatai Mojeed, Hon. Abiodun Tobun, Hon. Raheem Kazeem, to be led by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams to visit the family of the deceased and deliver a condolence message from the House.
The House later adjourned sitting to Monday August 24, 2020.