School Reopening: Parents Protest N25,000 COVID-19 Test Fee In Ogun

– Parent protest the payment of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee government officials are requesting in other to get their ward tested

– This came following the directive that no boarding school pupil would be allowed to resume without a valid negative COVID-19 test certificate

– Students in exit classes are expected to resume August 4 so as to prepare for their forthcoming exams 

Following the announcement of the Ogun state government that no boarding school pupil would be allowed to resume without a valid negative COVID-19 test certificate, some report have confirmed that government officials are demanding a sum of N25,000 as fee for the COVID-19 test.

Recall that the government also directed parents to take their wards to designated places for the test between Friday, 31 July and Monday, 4 August.

The Punch reported that parents of pupils in private secondary schools in Ogun State on Sunday kicked against the request of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee by the government.

Many of the parents, who took their demonstrations to the streets, faulted the decision of the government to ask them to pay N25,000 on each pupil before they could be allowed to resume.

The dissatisfied parents on Sunday thronged the MTR 250 bed specialist hospital, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the designated place for the pupils in Abeokuta.

It was gathered that attempts by the parents to get their children tested for free failed as they were asked to pay N25,000 on each child.

According to report, many parents were locked out of the facility.

Read also: Evacuation: 117 Nigerians Stranded In East Africa Arrive Lagos Airport

Some of the parents, who spoke with The PUNCH anonymously because of attendant consequences lamented that the payment of N25,000 for COVID-19 test shows the government cared less about its citizens.

They complained that the economic reality in the country has made it difficult to pay such an amount of money.

At the time of filing this report, the the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Primary and Secondary Education, Ronke Soyombo who gave this directive through the state government could not be reached.

This is the first time in four months that students will be return back to school after staying at home for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic.