On 2nd of August, the Ogun State government announced that returning Students to public and private schools in the state must be certified covid-19 negative before admission to boarding facilities. The Government said the students must take the tests and those positive would not be allowed to sit for the examination to avoid transmission.
According to the Special Adviser to Governor DapoAbiodun on Basic and Secondary Education, RonkeSoyombo, the government in a meeting on modalities to reopening of schools, with parents, private school owners and relevant stakeholders in the sector agreed to conduct the test. But what the state government did not agreed with parents and school owners was the cost of conducting the test. While the cost of the test for public schools students was free of all charges, that of private schools was otherwise. In fact, students of private schools were conditioned to pay N25,000 as cost of conducting the test per student.
Although the state government denied imposing such levy on the students, parents alleged demand of fees for the test for their wards who attend private school. Some parents had to embark on peaceful protest in Abeokuta, the state capital, to condemn the insensitivity of the government.
Governor Abiodun, while addressing the issue explained that the cost of getting tested in NCDC accredited private laboratories was N50,400 per test but the State Ministry of Health negotiated the cost down to N25,000 in considering the economic reality occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. He therefore rescinded the earlier plan and ordered that laboratories accredited to carryout Covid-19 test should attend to all students free of all charges.
IMPACT NEWS understands that the Ogun State government may of taking its earlier decision based on existing reality but for the government to reverse its earlier decision is a mark of a government sensitive to the plight of the masses.
It is important that government listens and feel the pulse of the people especially as it concerns the interest of the public.
We hope the state government will continue in this lane and focus on balancing the interest of the people of the state with governance and administration.
We also challenge the Federal Government and other states government to emulate the government of DapoAbiodun and promote public oriented and people beneficial policies. After all, what is governance all about if not to serve the people and not to lord over them.
