The Edo State Government has announced an indefinite postponement of resumption of all schools in the state over the hike in fuel price.

The state government announced this in a memo issued by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Ojo Akin-Longe, on Saturday, September 7, 2024.

The permanent secretary said the resumption, scheduled for Monday, September 9, was postponed until further notice.

Akin-Longe noted: “The Edo State Government hereby announces the postponement of the resumption of all public and private schools in Edo State, originally scheduled for Monday, 9th September 2024, until further notice.

“An official statement from the government has directed that schools remain closed due to the tension arising from the recent increase in fuel prices and the challenges faced by parents and guardians.

“The government urges parents, guardians, and caregivers to monitor the activities of their children and wards closely, given the current situation and the rising tension caused by the fuel price hike.”

Reacting to the postponement, the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described it as “expensive political gimmickry”.

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The Edo APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Enosorogbe, who said this on Saturday, noted that the action of the state government was a political gimmick less expected by the public.

Uwadiae-Enosorogbe added that he was surprised that the state government could be sacrificing the educational pursuit of the children for politics.

The APC official said: “You cannot sacrifice the education pursuit of the children for fuel scarcity. It is not today we are having a hike in fuel price. This cannot derail the educational system.

“Nobody is protesting the hike and no parents have complained that they cannot take their children to school for learning. This is not adding up.

“To every reasonable and rational individual, the government has erred again. It is one of the mistakes of the state government.

“It is not in the interest of the children; it is not in the interest of the parents and it is not in the interest of the educational system.”

Uwadiae-Enosorogbe called for the reversal of the decision, saying state education had suffered a lot under the present administration.

“Edo government should be talked to, because the action is an aberration; the action is uncalled for; the action is not in the interest of anybody,” he stressed.

The Star