Gombe State Government has begun the fumigation of 2,021 secondary schools across the state ahead of their reopening for the students in exit classes.
The schools are expected to reopen on Monday, Aug.10 for students in terminal classes after they had been closed some months ago due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Commissioner for Environment and Forest Resources, Dr Hussaina Goje, on Friday said that 50 members of staff of Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) would participate in the exercise.
Goje represented by Malam Sani Jauro, the Director of Planning in the ministry, said that out of the 2, 021 schools, 154 are Senior Secondary Schools , 347 are Junior Secondary Schools and 1,520 are Primary schools.
The commissioner said that the chemical the officials would apply would be environmentally friendly and not harmful to human beings.
In his address, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Habu Dahiru, said that the exercise was part of the measures put in place to combat COVID-19 as well as the preparation for schools’ opening after four months of closure.
According to him, disinfecting the schools will guarantee the safety of the children, prevent them from contracting the virus from objects and other possible places.
Dahiru said that they would ensure that all the schools were fumigated before the government announces the resumption date for the rest of the students who are not in the exist classes.
He called on the principals and head teachers of the schools to give the necessary supports needed to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise began with the Government Senior Science Secondary School, Gombe and, subsequently , to Government Girls’ College, Doma.
The commissioner also visited the Cooperative Finance Agency (CFA),who supplies foodstuffs to the secondary schools in the state , and directed them to supply food stuffs to the 20 schools operating boarding facilities across the state.(NAN)