Student lives are not just mere statistics, we must protect them – Gabby

A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has said the lives of children in school are not just mere statistics so there is a need for them to be protected.

Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko comments follow the calls from concern groups, stakeholders, and Facebook influencers, for the government to act “responsibly” and shut down schools now!

A post sighted by Georgeweb.org on the lawyer’s Facebook timeline read; “But, have those calling for a blanket shut down of all schools really looked at the facts? Over 500,000 JHS students go home every day to their homes. Some 75% of secondary school students in the capital, Greater Accra, where 76.3% of all cases of coronavirus infections, are day students”. 

“For nearly a month, Govt has systematically, responsibly and competently organized logistics and personnel for 1.3m students nationwide, from university to JHS, to return to school for their final year exams”. 

“Ask yourself, how many incidents of Covid-19 infections have been so far recorded in schools? I have read less than 10! Not 100; not 1000 out of 1.3m. It could very well be more. But, this is what we know”. 

“As at last night, Volta recorded a total number of 44 active cases of infections for the entire population of the region; Ahafo Region has just 25 active cases; Northern Region has 23 active cases in all; Upper West 12; Oti Region 12; Savannah 11; North East 1; Upper East 1; finally, Bono East, as at last night, had recorded zero active cases of coronavirus”.

So, I ask again: when we scream for all schools to be shut down and the exams of the students disrupted, what exactly do we mean?

He continued that “It is good for us to show concern for our children but we should not create the curios impression that we care more than the Govt. It costs a lot of money to cater to 1.3 million students under these pandemic circumstances. Surely, we cannot say it is being done for elections!”.

READ ALSO: Govt sets up committee to look into COVID-19 situation in schools

“It is about the future of our children and, yes, we must keep them alive for them to have a future. We get that too, Mr Bright! We are not that thick!”, he added.

Source: Georgeweb.org