Nasarawa State House of Assembly has warned management of both public and private schools in the state against flouting COVID-19 safety protocols.

As both public and private schools all over the state reopened on 18th of January, the assembly warned that any school found disregarding the laid down guidelines on COVID-19, aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, will be duly sanctioned.

Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Daniel Ogazi, gave the warning on Thursday, when he led other members of the committee on an unscheduled visit to some tertiary and secondary schools in the state to assess their levels of preparedness on re-opening of schools amidst second wave of coronavirus.

Ogazi and his team inspected schools resumption and safety measures put in place at Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia , College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, Government Senior Science School, Nassarawa Eggon and College of Education, Akwanga.

He frowned at the situation where some students are seen in schools and classes without face masks and non observance of social distancing as well as environmental cleanliness among others and called for a change of attitude.

Ogazi also advised management of the institutions visited to ensure they put in place adequate facilities like thermometer, Isolation centres, ambulances, sanitizers, handwashing facilities as well as strict monitoring of students and teachers to ensure compliance.

“This exercise will be a continuous one, we will keep coming to ensure that the right things are done in protecting our people.

“We as assembly members, we are on recess, but as representatives of our people we need to cut-short our break to embark on this exercise by assessing the preparedness of schools resumption”.

The chairman, while commending the state government for its efforts so far in tackling the menace in the state, emphasised that the school management and the public also have a greater role to play in the fight against COVID-19 by ensuring that all the laid down protocols are strictly observed.

In their separate responses, Dr Justina Kotso, Rector Isa Mustapha Agwai polytechnic Lafia, Dr Peter Aboki, Deputy Provost, College of Agriculture, Lafia, Principal, Senior Science Secondary School, Nasarawa Eggon, Mr Christopher Ogiri, and Dr Roseline Kela, Sole Administrator, College of Education, Akwanga, all took turn to explain extensively efforts being put in place on COVID-19 as they reopened schools and their challenges.

However, the basic challenge they all have is the issue of parameter fencing, calling for government intervention.
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