Rivers govt distributes ebola preventive materials to schools

The Rivers State Government has distributed Ebola Preventive materials to all Model Primary schools in the State. The materials include thermo scanners, buckets, soaps and hand sanitizers to schools on resumption of the new academic session.



Speaking during the distribution of the Ebola Preventive Materials at the Township Model Primary School 1, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, the Commissioner for Education Rivers State, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi said the State Government is concerned for the safety of pupils and teachers in various schools across the State.

Alice Nemi commended Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Commissioner for Health Dr Sampson Parker, for taking proactive steps in curtailing the Ebola Virus Disease in the State. She said that the Ministry had earlier met with Nigeria Union Of Teachers, NUT on the steps taken by the State Government to tackle the EVD.

The Commissioner stated that providing the preventive materials is in fulfilment of the earlier promise to the NUT that the State will ensure the safety of teachers.

On his own part, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, charged the teachers to put to use the preventive materials being provided by the State Government in their various schools. Dr Parker said, though the state is free from Ebola, the fight against the dreaded disease is still on. He stated that the awareness for the disease is still on and he charged the residents of the State to continue to maintain personal hygiene.

The Health Commissioner also tasked the teachers to take any pupils that develops high fever to the nearest health centre and also said that sick children should not come to school.

‘’I must emphasize that whatever we present to you here thermo scanners, sanitizers, buckets and soaps, the most important, is the knowledge of what Ebola is all about. Also to inculcate in ourselves first and the students the knowledge of hygiene and to practice basic hygiene, that is all we want. That is why when people told me about sanitizers, I said no, because this is an opportunity for us to learn basic hygiene and we started basic hygiene lessons with hand washing and teaching the students how to wash their hands’’.

‘’Yes we have won the battle against Ebola in Rivers State, but the war against Ebola is not over and we  must all be alert, we must continue to keep our environment clean’’ he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education Minabelem Michael West, charged the teachers to make good use of the materials that have been handed to them stating that the reason the State Government trained them during the holidays was for the teachers to train the pupils on preventive measures against the EVD. When asked about the expectations for the new academic session, he stated that the State Government is expecting the teachers to redouble their efforts to impact more knowledge to pupils. Michael West stated that the State has provided the right environment for teaching and learning for teachers and is expecting anything other than good results.

‘’Rivers State is an education State, we placed education on high premium, education is a focal point of development agenda of this State

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