Lira City bans teachers for refusing Covid jabs

Lira City says over 1,000 teachers got vaccinated.

By Marion Ajwang

Lira – January 21, 2022: Three primary school teachers have been barred from accessing school premises after they refused to get COVID-19 vaccination.

The teachers’ identities have been concealed by the Lira City authorities. 

TND News understands that they are stopped from accessing school premises on claims that their “faith does not support vaccination of any kind”. We could not verify their religious affiliations.

Two are employees of Anai primary school, and one is employed by Aduku Road Primary school.

Lira City Inspector of Schools, Samuel Brown Ogwok said they noticed this when they were carrying out inspections.

He added they had instructed every school to have a file for every teacher with the photocopies of their vaccination cards.

“The teachers gave reasons that their faith cannot make them vaccinate,” Ogwok told TND News.

“Most of our teachers are vaccinated except three who have told their schools their faith does not support vaccination of any kind,” the Inspector of schools added.

ALSO READ:

• 343 graduate at Lira University
• Lira-Kamdini killer road: Inside Lango utmost unity ever in decades
• Lira school of health sciences excels in UNMEB exams
• Exclusive: LPG to investigate PRELNOR, criticizes govt for mistreating Lango

According to Ogwok, they have ordered the headteachers of the above schools to stop the teachers from accessing the schools.

Richard Okello Odyek is the Lira City Commercial Officer. He accused the headteachers of not enforcing COVID-19 guidelines.

Headteachers who are not complying with the guidelines should be disciplined together with their teachers since it’s a disservice to the education department of Lira City, he added.

Paul Eseru Omedi is the Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Lira. He said such schools “should not fool them by violating the COVID-19 guidelines” and promised to take action when they carry out inspections soon.

“…they should not bullshit us, these are our students, pupils, and they need protection. We cannot allow one person to destroy the future of very many people,” he sounded.

The number of learners in public schools in Lira City has increased compared to those learning in private schools. Lira City says over 1,000 teachers got vaccinated.

Initially, teachers were among the first group chosen by the government to be vaccinated first ahead of planned schools reopening early this month.