Teachers, pupils and parents are currently upbeat as primary and secondary schools resume in most states today (Monday).

States where pupils will be resuming for second term after the Christmas and New Year break include Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Delta and Jigawa, among others.

The Kano State Government had earlier announced Sunday, January 5, 2025, as the resumption date for all boarding public and private primary and secondary schools, with day school students resuming on Monday, January 6, 2025.

A statement signed by the state Director of Public Enlightenment, Balarabe Kiru, urged parents and guardians to comply with the resumption dates to ensure smooth operations.

The statement warned that disciplinary actions would be taken against students and pupils who fail to resume on time.

The state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Makoda, emphasised the government’s commitment to “fostering quality education and providing a conducive learning environment to encourage students’ academic success.”

He added that monitoring exercises would be conducted to ensure punctuality and efficiency among school staff.

In Delta State, the government has also directed public and private schools to resume today, January 6.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. Augustine Oghoro, highlighted the need for teachers to “renew their commitment to improving the standard of education in the state.”

The Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, and her counterpart in the Ministry of Primary Education would lead monitoring teams to ensure compliance with the directive.

Teachers and school heads were warned against absenteeism, with the government promising to take action against defaulters.

Similarly, Jigawa State set Monday as the resumption date for public and private schools, with boarding students returning on Sunday, January

The Commissioner for Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Isa Chamo, assured parents that teaching aids had been provided to facilitate effective learning.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government shifted the resumption date of unity schools across the country to January 12 from January 5.

A circular released on December 30, 2024, by the Federal Ministry of Education explained that the shift in dates was due to the ongoing renovation works in most of the unity schools.

The circular was addressed to all principals of Federal Unity Colleges and was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwazzo.

PUNCH reports that as schools prepare to reopen, the Head of School at Offsprings Ilorin, Kwara State, Alli-Oluwafuyi Lateefat, stressed the importance of collaboration between schools, parents, and students.

“We are excited to receive our students after the holidays, and we expect them to return with renewed energy. Learning can be as enjoyable as play if approached with dedication,” she said.

Lateefat underscored the importance of parental involvement in monitoring academic progress, emphasising that a strong home-school partnership is crucial for student success.

However, parents have expressed concerns over rising costs.

Mr. Tunbosun Esho, a father of three, said, “With the way prices keep rising, getting everything ready for the new term is becoming more difficult. Balancing tuition, transportation, and other bills is not easy.”

Similarly, Mrs. Nafisat Bakare, a mother of two, said, “Transport fares have doubled since last term, and it’s a burden. Sometimes you have to choose between essentials and school needs.”

Experts demand proactive steps as new virus surges in China, ravages children

The Federal Government on Sunday said it would activate surveillance measures for inbound passengers from China following the current surge of a respiratory virus.

Reports indicate that the virus has led to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures and public concerns in China.

The virus, attributed to the Human Metapneumovirus, has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children. Neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are closely monitoring the HMPV situation, having reported a few cases but no widespread outbreaks, according to reports.

According to Chinese authorities, there has been a noticeable increase in HMPV cases, especially among children under 14 years old in northern parts of the country. Social media posts, accompanied by videos of overcrowded hospitals, have sparked fears of a larger-scale health crisis.

In response to the rising cases, the Chinese government announced measures, including constant monitoring of cases, the adoption of masks, social distancing and disinfection of public spaces to curb the increase of the virus.

The new virus outbreak is coming five years after the emergence of a novel coronavirus – COVID-19 – in Wuhan, China, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation on March 11, 2020.

So far, COVID-19 has infected 777 million people globally and killed over seven million, according to WHO.

However, while both HMPV and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses, there are important differences. HMPV typically causes milder symptoms such as a cold or flu, while COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can lead to more severe health complications and long-term effects.

HMPV is also a seasonal virus, similar to other cold-causing pathogens like RSV, and infections usually peak during the winter months. HMPV, like COVID-19, spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and it can also spread via contaminated surfaces.

However, officials from the National Health Commission stated that while respiratory diseases are expected to rise during the winter months, the overall situation this year is less severe than last year.

Beijing also downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday, “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season. The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” she said.

A pilot programme was launched by China to track pneumonia of unknown origin, ensuring labs and health agencies reported and managed cases more effectively, state broadcaster CCTV reported, quoting an administration official at a news conference.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HMPV could cause upper and lower respiratory diseases in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

The U.S CDC noted that HMPV is most likely spread from an infected person to others through secretions from coughing and sneezing, close personal contact and touching objects or surfaces that have the viruses on them, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.

“Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion and shortness of breath. Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections. The estimated incubation period is three to six days, and the median duration of illness can vary, depending upon severity but is similar to other respiratory infections caused by viruses,” the US CDC stated.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Nigeria are already implementing emergency measures to monitor and manage the spread of the HMPV.

The Director, Special Duties, Office of the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr John Oladejo, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the Federal Government would implement preventive measures by activating surveillance measures to curb the spread of the virus

“The FG will activate surveillance measures, like quarantine, for passengers coming in from China,” Dr Oladejo said.

Earlier in November 2024, global health body WHO noted that it was closely monitoring the situation and was in close contact with national authorities in China, adding that it would continue to provide updates as warranted.

Based on the available information, WHO recommended that people in China followed measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness, which include recommended vaccines against influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens as appropriate; keeping distance from people who are ill; staying home when ill; getting tested and medical care as needed; wearing masks as appropriate; ensuring good ventilation; and practicing regular handwashing.

“WHO does not recommend any specific measures for travellers to China. In general, persons should avoid travel while experiencing symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, if possible; in case of symptoms during or after travel, travellers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share travel history with their health care provider.

“WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions based on the current information available on this event,” the body added.

First detected in Pakistan in 2001, the HMPV has caused several outbreaks over the years in the Asian nation, primarily affecting children, but the virus is new to Africa as there haven’t been reported cases on the continent.

“Human Metapneumovirus was first identified in Pakistan in 2001, and outbreaks have been reported since then,” an official at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, said.

“In 2015, a study conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences found 21 cases of HMPV in children hospitalised with severe lower respiratory tract infections.”

Meanwhile, medical experts have stated that implementing surveillance measures against the virus was a crucial and appropriate step in ensuring that it doesn’t spread to the country.

They emphasised that surveillance should be an ongoing process carried out continuously by the government.

A virologist at the Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Dr Moses Adewumi said, “On  good day, surveillance should always be part of us. What happens most times is that despite the amount that was voted for COVID-19, we seem to have relaxed. Our people are more interested in spending the money, and after that, we probably decide to go to sleep. So, the surveillance should be a continuous thing.

“It is good that we increase our surveillance for people coming into the country, especially from China, Japan and other places, where we have the outbreaks. The government should be more involved in surveillance because most of the surveillance and all the research we do is funded by foreign bodies, so our own government should be more interested in research, in surveillance for all these viruses.

“The virus is not new but the surge may be because there is a different variant, and that is why we need to increase our surveillance and monitor it closely to curtail its introduction into the country. Experience has taught us that if we check now, we may have our people with antibodies already, and that’s a confirmation that it’s likely that this is circulating here, maybe not the exact variants that they have now.”

Also, an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Genomics in the Department of Microbiology at the Adeleke University, Osun State, Oladipo Kolawole, noted that the decision by the government to implement surveillance measures was a good one, adding that it aimed to monitor and control the potential spread of the virus, ensuring public health safety as the situation developed.

Kolawole said, “The government is likely to enhance screening processes at points of entry and provide guidelines for travellers from China, this is to mitigate risks associated with HMPV. Activating surveillance allows for the early detection of cases, which is essential in managing outbreaks effectively. Monitoring travellers from regions experiencing outbreaks can help identify and isolate cases before they spread within the community.

“Also, quarantine for inbound passengers from the affected regions can significantly reduce the risk of transmission. It serves as a precautionary measure to ensure that individuals who may be infected do not unknowingly spread the virus to others. Finally, this situation underscores the importance of preparedness in public health systems.”

Meanehile, Hong Kong has reported a few cases of HMPV following the outbreak in China while Cambodia’s Communicable Disease Control Department issued warnings about the virus, noting its similarity to COVID-19 and influenza.

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control said the virus poses higher risks for children, the elderly and immuno-compromised individuals.

In neighbouring India, officials said there was no need for panic as HMPV is “like any other respiratory virus.”

Nigerians have lamented that despite the reduction in the price of petrol, transporters have failed to effect a reduction in transport fares nationwide.

These angry Nigerians added that instead, the prices are still going up.

The PUNCH reported that on December 19, 2024, the Dangote refinery reduced the ex-depot price of its petrol from N970 to N899.50 per litre.

This sparked intense pricing competition in the downstream sector, forcing the NNPCL to reduce its ex-depot price to N899 per litre.

Similarly, the refinery announced its partnership with MRS Petrol station to sell petrol from its retail outlets nationwide at N935 per litre, to the delight of Nigerians.

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has clarified that the recent reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, to N899.50 per litre at its loading gantry was primarily driven by the complex dynamics of market forces.

However, Nigerians have lamented that though there is a reduction in the petrol price, transporters have failed to reflect the change in the transport fare.

An X User, #AsiwajuOladimeji posted, “When PMS was N1,200 a litre, transporters increased transport fares. The price of PMS has come down and there is no reduction in the transport fares. Sometimes it’s not about the government. We are also greedy as human beings.”

Another X User, #Arakunrin, stated, “While the harsh reality is that our people are avaricious. The normal fare from Oshodi to Iyana-Ipaja is N500, but after the price of fuel increased, it went up to N700. Now that the price of fuel came down before Christmas it is N1000. This has left me wondering all day,”

A user, #Brendan Champion, opined that the slight reduction in fuel price is not enough to trigger a reduction in transportation costs.

 #Undisputed pointed out that the rate the drivers were collecting when the fuel price was N1200 was not enough.

“The fare the drivers were collecting when the price was N1200 wasn’t even enough. If you want to a drastic reduction, then effect a drastic reduction in the fuel price to at least what it was before,”

Another user, #Wemmy, said, “I am not a transporter, but the increase in transport fares was not equal to the increase in the fuel. There was over a 500 per cent increase in fuel price but the increase in transport fares never passed 100 to 200 per cent.”

Also, a user, #Agha Nigerian, said, “It is pathetic honestly speaking. This is what we are discussing now. Imagine the transport fare from Berger to Mowe is now N1000 just because of the programme at the Redeem Camp.”

Another user, Linus Lincoln, said that the amount which members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers are charging drivers is much

NACCIMA reacts

Meanwhile, the President of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr Dele Oye, mentioned that the major cause was the dollar.

“The main thing that affects all the prices is the dollar. The dollar is affecting power, it is affecting everything in our lives. Because we are a demand economy,” Oye said.

According to him, another major factor is the fact that Nigeria is not a supply economy.

“We are not a supply economy. A demand economy means most of the things you use are goods from outside Nigeria. If we were a supply economy, it would be that most of the things we can produce, like Turkey, which is a supply economy,” he said.

The NACCIMMA president stated that Nigeria’s production capacity can’t handle 30 per cent of the country’s needs.

“Our production capacity is not even 30 per cent of our needs. So that’s why everything, all the vehicles on the road, imagine all of them, 99 per cent are imported,” Oye stated.

He maintained that the only way Nigeria’s economy can grow is to provide single-digit capital for the private sector.

“Once they have those single digits, it will increase production and people will be able to buy the goods. Import substitution,” he advised.

The Labour Party has declared its capability to win the 2027 presidential election without forming a coalition, emphasising its strong grassroots support and appeal to Nigerians.

The party reiterated that its performance in the 2023 elections demonstrated its potential to independently challenge and unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made the assertion on Sunday in an interview with The PUNCH, denying recent rumours of a coalition agreement with Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“As it stands, Labour Party has not been approached or invited to any meeting whatsoever to discuss a coalition. What we see already is that people are thinking of alternatives and how best elections can be won in a landslide against the ruling APC,” Ifoh said.

“Labour Party didn’t need any coalition in 2023 when it gathered millions of votes from Nigerians who wanted Labour Party to take over the leadership of the nation. We will continue to say that the system played a trick on both Nigerians and Labour Party.

“We know LP has what it takes to win elections at the highest level and we demonstrated that in 2023. If elections were to hold again today, Labour Party would even do it in a bigger way because the government of the day has failed. Everything that Labour Party stands for and canvassed in 2023 is what Nigeria needs at the moment. So we do not even really need a coalition to win the election.”

Ifoh,however, said the LP had not foreclosed the possibility of a merger if the terms were right.

He said, “The idea of a coalition is not bad. If Labour Party is approached, the party will look into it to scrutinise see the merits and its demerits.

“Again, we only see individuals talking. The opposition parties have not called for any meeting or take the initiative for discussion until when the time comes.”

Ifoh’s statement comes in response to speculation fuelled by reports suggesting a possible coalition between LP, PDP, and NNPP ahead of the 2027 elections.

 These claims were, however, recently dismissed by Kwankwaso and Obi, both of whom denied any involvement in such discussions.

Kwankwaso, speaking in a BBC Hausa interview last week, stated, “I have not communicated with either Atiku or Obi,” adding that he had maintained a neutral stance through the end of last year.

Similarly, Obi, in a press conference last Friday, distanced himself from the rumours, saying, “I am not a party to any arrangement of this nature.”

However, in response to Kwankwaso, the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, argued that the PDP was not death, stressing that President Bola Tinubu and the APC cannot be defeated in 2027 except through a merger, which must include the PDP

He stated, “The PDP is the only party that has consistently won elections without being in power. Senator Kwankwaso may have left, but how many states did he win with his new party? The facts speak for themselves.

“For over two decades, the PDP has remained steadfast, maintaining its identity and producing governors and lawmakers in every part of the country. Even if four parties merge without the PDP, they cannot win an election. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly. Where are those parties now? Even their alliances with other parties have not delivered the desired results.”