By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Minister of Environment Dr.Mohammade Abubakar said his ministry will monitor compliance in schools with prescribed standard through a network of monitoring and evaluation teams across the nation.
Dr.Abubakar made the disclosure yesterday at ministerial press briefing on safe post COVID-19 re-opening of schools.
“This time around, I shall be activating 60,000 volunteers to cover schools in all the 774 local governments of the federation.
“We are collaborating with the ministry of education to ensure we realise the guidelines on safe reopening of schools and learning facilities.
“The environmental health emergency volunteers corps (EHEVC) will be utilised,
as done previously based on the outcome of their performance in the examination centers’ surveillance”, he said.
The Minister also advocated the need to ensure safety health and well being of both learners and care givers are maintained.
He also advised proprietors of schools to engage licensed environmental health officers who will be responsible for WASH programmes and activities in schools including regular and routine sanitary inspection of school premises.
According to him,environmental health departments at all national levels are directed to work in collaborative with education ministries and departments.
Meanwhile, Baba Yakubu Mohammed, Acting Registrar, Environmental Health Officers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON),stated that today marks another landmark achievement by the federal ministry of environment under the leadership of the minister headed by Dr.Mohammed Abubakar.
Mohammed said the ministry is the major stakeholder as far as school resumption is concern.
The Federal government has a rolling plan on easing the lockdown in stages.
“If you can recall the Federal government opened up 19,000 centres for WAEC, all these are gradual process before other Nigeria institutions are included. Now the ministry is deploying 60,000 volunteers to mornitor in 774 LGAs, that’s really a major milestone”.
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