The Government of Ghana through Ministry of Education (MoE) in collaboration with waste management giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) has begun a mass disinfection and fumigation of public and private tertiary institutions in the Obuasi and Bekwai Municipality’s.
The exercise is to pave way for the safe reopening of secondary schools on January 18, 2021.
The exercise–which kicked off yesterday in the whole of the Ashanti Region covered universities, colleges of education, and training institutions.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his 21st Covid-19 address to the nation, directed all basic, senior high schools (SHSs) and tertiary institutions to be disinfected before reopening.
Briefing the media on the 2nd day of the excercise, the Bekwai Area Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Micheal Abeka Amonoo disclosed that his outfit will be disinfected about 10 Senior High Schools tertiary
in the municipality including six public and four private schools.
He said the exercise was to keep the schools’ environs safe and protect the students, teaching and non-teaching staff members in addition to visitors against the virus when full academic work resumes.
He recounted how the previous phases of the disinfection exercises have contributed to reducing the spread of the virus in the municipality.
Mr Amonoo therefore allayed the fears of parents whose wards are in returning to school against the Covid.
However, he urged parents to provide their children with hand-based alcohol sanitisers, nose masks and also advised to observe all the covid-19 safety protocols when they return to school.
“…parents and guardians must also impress upon their children to continue observing the Covid protocols,” he entreated.
The Principal of the Community Development Vocational Institute, Bekwai, Madam Veronica Odoom, was recounted how previous disinfection excercises have helped the school to get rid of bed bugs, reptiles and other insects.
She however appealed to government to as a matter of urgency enroll all the twenty six technical and vocational schools scattered across the country on the free shs policy.
“Our appeal to the government now is that we are a government institution, a community development school under Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development but we are not been catered for. Because of school fees i can bet you when school reopens many of them are not going to come. So government should consider putting the over twenty community development technical vocational training schools accross the country”, she said.
Among the institutions disinfected were the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology( Obuasi campus), S.D.A Senior High School, Community Development Vocational Institute, Ofoase Kokoben Senior High School, among others.
The Headmaster of S.D.A Senior High School, Kofi Anane Afoakwa, speaking to the media, described the exercise as “timely and critical.”
He intimated that it will protect his school’s space against the Covid.
He commended government and Zoomlion for their collaboration in fighting the virus.
“Covid is still with us, therefore, there is the need for us to continue observing the prescribed safety protocols,” he urged.
He indicated that in addition to the disinfection, the school will also enforce the various safety protocols to protect the students, teaching and non-teaching staff members.
