By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it would provide allowances to public schools in the Territory to purchase COVID-19 safety items to curb the spread of the virus in the schools.
FCT permanent secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola disclosed this when he declaredopen an enlarged sensitisation awareness campaign on COVID-19precautionary measures for secondary school principals, vice principals,head teachers and relevant officers at the weekend.
Adesola said that the administration had earlier provided fund for provision of basic sanitary items and fumigated the schools, when the schools reopened late last year, because the schools were closed fora long time.
He added that there would never be a time when the schools would have enough of sanitary items against COVID-19, stating that ifresidents know the importance of hand sanitisers or facemasks, theywould not wait for government to provide it for them.
The permanent secretary explained that the sensitisation programme,which is being held in the six area councils of the FCT, was aimed atenlightening the participants on the basic information about thepandemic and to make them take early precautionary measures against it.
Earlier, acting director of the education secretariat Malam LeramohAbdulrazaq had enjoined school authorities to be vigilant and takeadequate measures in checking students, staff and visitors temperature.
He also urged school authorities to ensure they sustained monitoring and inspection of learning environments in schools, even as he assured that the secretariat would continue to intensify efforts on the various activities-based programme to ensure that the second wave of the pandemic had no place in the schools.
One of the participants/vice principal administration, GovernmentSecondary School Gwarinpa, Mrs Maryam Suleiman, said it had becomeimperative to continue to create the needed awareness on the pandemic,as the schools resume.
Suleiman said the sensitisation programme would ensure that the school authorities keep abreast of basic information about the ravagingpandemic and are well equipped to prevent it.
