Ebola: Nigerians calling for delay of schools re-opening are irrational thinkers

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The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday reacted to calls that schools? resumption be delayed till December or early next year based on Ebola Virus Disease.

Chukwu described the position held by a good number of Nigerians as ?irrational?.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, he said the decision to bring forward the resumption date to September 22 was based on expert advice.

He insisted that it was safe for the students to resume, adding that presently, no patient was under treatment anywhere in the country and that there was no community transmission of the disease in Nigeria like other countries.

Stressing that Nigeria was making good progress against the disease, he assured that Nigeria would continue to maintain vigilance at the entry points to make sure no fresh case came into the country.

He said: ?The Minister of Education after meeting with the commissioners for education from the 36 states and FCT decided when public schools should open, which they told us is September 22.

?In taking that decision, they used information that was given by the federal Ministry of Health to the fact there is actually no reason now with the expert information we have at hand why schools cannot resume earlier than the original date of October 13.

?I think people should just allow us to do the work we have been doing very professionally. It was based on advice given by the Ministry of Health that the Minister of Education took the original decision that it was going to be in October and nobody quarreled with the minister.

?Now the minister, based on expert advice, has come back to say well, for us, if you are asking us to resume earlier than October 13, we don?t have any reason to stop that?.