Mr Olisa Ifeajika, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, on Friday, distributed face masks to staff and pupils of public schools in Illah community, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the schools are : Illah Grammar School, Itomorka Secondary School, Omorka Model Primary School and Iyioka Model Primary School.
Ifeajika, while presenting the masks to the four public schools in the community, said that the gesture was to check the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the vulnerability of school children and teachers.
He said that the prevailing second wave of the pandemic had proved to be more vicious, and called for the consciousness and support of all stakeholders.
He added that COVID-19 had affected socio-economic development of the world, including Africa and Nigeria.
The CPS, therefore, appealed to authorities of the schools to take special interest in the care of the children.
Ifeajika disclosed that infrastructure and human resource needs of the schools would be addressed in no distant time.
“With the reopening of schools, the most basic thing to do is to ensure that pupils wear their face masks always and properly while in classroom and playground.
“I am here today to support you with face masks and to ensure that we preach to our students the need to observe these preventive protocols”.
On the poor state of the Asaba-Illah road, which was a strategic route to Abuja, the CPS, described the situation as ‘unfortunate.
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“Due to the harrowing experience states go through to get refund from the Federal Government when they rehabilitate its infrastructure, it has become extremely difficult for any state to intervene on federal roads.
“However, in spite of that, our amiable governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, has rehabilitated the Benin-Warri highway, the Asaba end of approach to River Niger Bridge and a failed portion at Ubulu-Okiti.
“By the grace of God, I am convinced without any equivocation that the governor will reconstruct the Asaba-Illah road if the Federal Government fails to do the needful,” he added.
in his remark Mr Charles Ojieh, of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, thanked the Chief Press Secretary for the donation while calling on other individuals to support in providing for the needs of schools.
He charged the school heads to ensure that the face masks were judiciously used.
Also Ms Vivian Juwah, Principal, Illah Grammar School, thanked Ifeajika for his contribution and assured that the school management would do everything to ensure that the students adhered to the prescribed protocol to check the spread of the pandemic..
She disclosed that the school required infrastructural facelift and urged the governor’s spokesman to use his good office to attract infrastructural upgrade of the school.
Mrs Joy Enueze, Headmistress, Iyioka Primary School, thanked Ifeajika for his magnanimity, and assured him that the face masks would be distributed equitably to the pupils.
The News Agemcy of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that the CPS had in May, 2020 distributed food palliatives, face masks, hand sanitizers to churches, police, health centre, motorcycle operators and to other residents in the community during the lockdown. (NAN).
