Federal government yesterday acceded to plea by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use schools across the country as registration centres for the proposed voters’ registration exercise commencing this month.
As a result, all primary and secondary schools in the country, both private and public will not resume until February 4.
Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja said the decision to order schools to remain closed till next month was part of the support that the INEC needed to ensure that Nigerians get a credible election come the 2011 general election.
Gbagi said those allowed to resume are students for the Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) because of their examination. He however added that arrangements had been concluded with the principals of the affected schools on how to ensure proper security measures for the students.
He said the decision to close the schools does not affect the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as well as other tertiary institutions as only primary and secondary schools would be used for the exercise.
He said though he does not anticipate any objection from schools especially the private schools, even as he promised to monitor the situation so as to ensure compliance.
Gbagi promised that the Federal Ministry of Education will work out modalities on how to make up for the lost time, so that it does not affect normal academic calendar.
“One thing that every Nigerian is concerned about as at today is getting credible election that will help us election credible leaders for the development of the country. This decision is not too much for us to give to actualize that.
“We will make amend for the period we are taking out of the academic calendar. As the Federal Ministry of Education we have supervisory role over schools and we know that even the private schools will be willing to give this period up as support to achieve a credible election,” he added.
It was gathered INEC wrote the ministry requesting that schools be prevented from resuming after the Christmas and New Year vacation so as to allow its officials use the schools nationwide as voters registration centres.