The government of Imo State has declared the environment as not yet conducive to reopen private and public schools.

This is owing to the coronavirus pandemic which, according to the government, has not been fully contained.

In a press release from the office of State’s Ministry of Education, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. B.T.O Ikegwuoha stated that the federal Ministry of Education did not mandate all the 36 states to reopen their schools at the same time.

He said that the directive earlier given by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwumeka Nwajiuba was that all the 36 states can reopen their schools after September 17, 2020 based on the peculiarities of individual States.

Prof. Ikegwuoha advised the general public to disregard the purported claims by the opposition party that the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has shut down Imo schools forever.

He described the claims as baseless and ridiculous.

The government, according to him, was more concerned about the safety of the students and was continuously putting more measures in place to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from affecting the school children when they eventually commence.

He disclosed that the state Executive Council has mandated the Commissioner for Health to expedite immediate actions and present the result/report of compulsory community testing in all the 27LGAs of the State within a period of one week to enable the government give assent to the reopening of schools in the State.

The Education Commissioner reassured the students of Imo State that schools will be reopened within the shortest possible time as the government, he said, was making frantic effort to ensure a more conducive learning environment.

He appealed to them to exercise a little more patience.