With schools reopening for graduating pupils this week after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic , parents of pupils in private secondary schools in Ogun State 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 would be allowed to resume .

The state government had said no boarding school pupil would be allowed to resume without a valid negative COVID – 19 test certificate .

The government also asked the parents to take their wards to designated places for the test between Friday and Monday .

The dissatisfied parents 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 for each child .

When news correspondent visited the venue , it was observed that many parents were locked out of the facility .

Some of the parents , who spoke with newsmen did not want their names in print because of attendant consequences but they 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 .

Speaking on behalf of the parents , the vice- chairman , Parents Teachers Association of one of the private schools , Dr . Kehinde Sanwo , queried the action of the government .

Sanwo, who was flanked by other aggrieved parents , decried the alleged discrimination against students in private schools .

She said , “ The parents here are good citizens of Ogun State and we are taxpayers . And it is so disheartening that we are here at the MTR hospital , the venue for COVID- 19 test .

“ When we arrived , we were told to pay N25 , 000 . Whereas, some people who arrived earlier paid nothing . So , we don ’ t know where the decision came from . Some of us have more than two children . Why this segregation ?”

Reacting to the protest , the state government insisted that the parents will need to pay the levy and get a certificate to show that their children are COVID- 19 negative before they could resume school .

The government in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo , said , “The government will bear the full costs of the COVID- 19 Test for all the boarding SS 3 students in the state – owned public schools .

“ All private school owners are also expected to ensure that all their boarding students are certified COVID- 19 test negative before being admitted into their boarding facilities .

“ To further assist the private schools , Ogun State Government has negotiated a huge discount in the cost of COVID – 19 Test with some healthcare service providers

“ However , private school owners and parents are free to engage any other service provider of their choice provided that the service provider is certified by NCDC as COVID- 19 Test service provider .

“ Indeed , Certificate of negative COVID- 19 Test from other locations across the country will be tenable provided, as usual , it is from an NCDC certified centre and the test has been performed within 72 hours of the date of resumption. ”

Punch