Minister receives decontamination certificates on safe schools resumption

The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, has presented certificates of Decontamination/Disinfection of Unity Schools to Education Minister Malam Adamu Adamu to attest to the safety and fitness of school environments for habitation and meaningful learning.

This is even as Abubakar called for the implementation of the resolution of the 8th National Council on Environment on the establishment of Environmental Health departments in tertiary educational institutions in the country.

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The minister, who spoke during an inter-ministerial visit to Adamu on the safe resumption of schools on Tuesday in Abuja, said establishing the department will help ensure professionalism in the discharge of environmental health and sanitation services.

Dr. Abubakar said the aim of the visit was to consolidate the gains so far recorded in the inter-ministerial collaboration between the two ministries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said: “The need to be proactive cannot be overemphasised as PTF is still considering how best to reopen schools in order not to be an unwary agent of the spread of COVID-19 amongst learners and caregivers in universities, polytechnic, monotechnics, Colleges of Education and Unity Schools nationwide, which have remained closed since February.”

The minister, however, said the decontamination/disinfection should not be one-way off but a continuous primary preventive measure and integrated with disinfection of school environments to get rid of pests and vectors of diseases that are dangerous to the health of inhabitants of those premises.

“The comprehensive and integrated treatment proposed shall positively impact the health status of the people in those learning environments,” he stated.

Malam Adamu commended his environment ministry counterpart, stating that his request would be looked into.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, has assured parents, teachers and students that based on the resolve of the two ministries, they would ensure that schools are reopened safely.