School reopen: The 'alarmists' should stop spreading fear & panic - Nana B

NPP National Youth Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, also called Nana B has called on parents of final year students not to panic as their wards return to school.

He urged the parents to have confidence in President Nana Akufo-Addo and not pay attention to alarmists discrediting the President's measures to secure the safety of the students and the teaching and non-teaching staff of the various schools.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in his 11th update on COVID-19, directed final year students at the tertiary level to resume school on Monday, June 15, 2020, whereas those at SHS and JHS resume on 22nd and 29th June respectively.

“From tomorrow, Monday, 15th June, the last batch of institutions in this phased approach, our educational institutions, will begin to re-open, with final year students in our tertiary colleges and universities returning to school to prepare for and take their exit examinations. As has been stated, final year Senior High School (SHS 3) students, together with SHS 2 Gold Track students, will resume on 22nd June; and final-year Junior High School (JHS 3) students, the week after, on 29th June. The decision to include our schools in phase one of the easing of restrictions was taken advisedly''.

He further outlined his government's measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the students return to school stating ''a total of six hundred thousand (600,000) face masks has been distributed to the tertiary institutions. This is to enable every student, teaching and non-teaching staff to have three (3) reusable face masks. In addition to this, one thousand seven hundred (1,700) Veronica buckets, two hundred thousand (200,000) litres of hand sanitizer, three thousand, four hundred (3,400) litres of liquid soap, and nine hundred (900) thermometer guns have been distributed, with the transportation and delivery of these items being overseen by the special logistics team of the Government Committee, chaired by the sagacious, experienced politician, the Senior Minister, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, that is supervising the re-opening of the schools''.

This notwithstanding, critics like PPP stalwart Nana Ofori Owusu have argued that the reopening of the schools may expose the students to the pandemic disease, hence endangering their lives.

The criticisms about the President's ease of restrictions on schools have given cause for parents of the school children to fear.

Nana B has urged critics to join the crusade to educate the masses about the disease and stop spreading fear and panic.

''This is not the time to put fear in the parents. I think we have to rather encourage the parents to adhere to the laid-down rules . . . We shouldn't discourage the parents. We should not cause fear and panic'," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM.