School resumption: Benue speaks on student testing positive for COVID-19

Benue State government says so far non of the returning students of schools in the state has tested positive for COVID-19.

The State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, made the disclosure on Tuesday.

He said the state government and management of schools were working round the clock and had also put measures in place to ensure that pupils and students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions did not contract or spread the virus in schools.

The Commissioner who made the disclosure shortly after monitoring the reopening of schools in Makurdi said “the government directed all students to resume on January 18, 2021, because we had earlier prepared them very well for resumption in September 2020.

“So the structures are still there. We saw in the schools visited that they have hand washing basins with soap. The classrooms are very well managed, they are not crowded. The teachers and students are wearing face masks and all the classrooms have hand sanitizers.

“So overall we are very impressed with what the principals and school managements have done. The government of Benue state through the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, also provided some facilities to support COVID-19 protocols which were distributed and we found that they are still there.

“We have been to primary, secondary, and junior secondary schools and overall we are impressed with what the state government has done to ensure that COVID-19 protocols are observed,” he said.

According to Prof. Ityavyar, “Governor Samuel Ortom is very serious about observing the protocols. It is because of his stern warning that in September when the students resumed, the State Assembly alongside the Ministry of Education and its parastatals went on monitoring visits, and the students were also tested. I am happy to report that not one student in Benue state was infected with COVID-19.

“We hope to maintain that standard so that no student in the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions will be infected with the virus during this session and semester,” he added.