Following the inconsistencies surrounding the freedom of movement of people in the south east geopolitical zone of Nigeria on Mondays as a result of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) compulsory sit at home order, private schools has resorted to holding classes on Saturdays to be able to complete their academic calendar for the year.
The reiterations by the leadership of IPOB that Mondays are no longer for sit at home and that Igbo’s should go about their business freely without fear of any altercations from their members , that sit at homes are only valid on days that their supreme leader Maazi Nnamdi Kanu will be going to Court, has not been able to stop Increasing number of parents in the eastern part of Nigeria to take their wards to schools on a deserted Monday in major cities in the eastern Nigeria.
Last Monday the 12th of October, the schools had one of the poorest turn up of students, the classrooms were scanty that most of the private schools had to call parents to come for the few children that their parents were able to drop off at school, so they can close their academic institutions for safety reasons.
Despite the fact that there has been no altercations or shootings between the IPOB or Eastern Security Network members with the Nigerian Security forces on any Monday in recent times, the fear of the unknown and the worry for the safety of their children are taking precedence in the thoughts of the worried parents.
The Saturday school which held today on the 16th of October 2021 in South east arguably for the first time , was recorded in few creche,primary and secondary schools in the city of Owerri, and the new development is yet to be ascertained if it will be a one day stand- off or a continuous exercise to cement a new normal.
The kids who were dropped off to school in casual clothes, unlike their usual normal school day uniforms, looked mostly excited as they were already informed by their teachers on Friday that they will be having classes on Saturday.
We in Nigerian Eye Newspaper will be going around the cities next Saturday to reconfirm if the private schools in south east are officially adopting Saturday as their new Monday. And will also watch to see if the government schools will follow suit in this race against time for the academic institutions, to avoid carrying over the 2021 academic session into the next year because of their shortened academic days following the IPOB sit at home orders.
Next week the creche,primary and secondary schools in South east of Nigeria are going to have only two days of school, as Monday is the normal sit at home order,Tuesday is a public holiday for Eid il Maulud , while Maazi Nnamdi Kanu the supreme leader of the IPOB will be arraigned in court on Thursday the 21st October which is another automatic sit at home day in the south east of Nigeria.
