the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB) on Thursday begins fumigation and decontamination of all government schools within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) as the schools will be resuming on Oct. 12.

Mrs Kate Ogbonna, Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Safety Department, AEPB, who monitored the exercise said that the effort was to ensure that the school premises were safe before the resumption of schools.

Ogbonna said that the exercise would last for three days, adding that the board was collaborating with the FCDA to ensure that the exercise was successful.

According to her, the board has decided to fumigate and decontaminate all the schools within the AMAC.

“Before the students resume on Monday, we want to take some necessary precautions to protect students and teachers by using decontamination and fumigation measures in the school environment.

“We will fumigate the premises to enable us control insects, snakes, scorpions, among others, inside the classrooms, teacher’s offices, hostels, stores and other places around the premises.

“But the decontamination exercise is due to COVID – 19. That will take care of the virus and other diseases within the environment,” Ogbonna said.

She advised the school authorities to ensure they maintain COVID – 19 guidelines which include, no students and teachers should enter the school without wearing of facemasks.

Mr Isah Usman, Principal of Government Secondary School, Pyakasa, one of the schools visited by the board, said that he was impressed with the exercise.

Usman said that the school authority will ensure that the necessary facilities are provided both in the hostels, kitchen, and school gate as well as the premises. (NAN)