The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Wednesday embarked on sensitisation and compliance assessment of COVID-19 protocols for schools in FCT and Nasarawa State.
Some of the schools visited are Government Secondary School (GSS) Mararaba, Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Primary School, Mararaba, Gurku, Karu L.G.A.
Others are Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Aso Pada, Karu L.G.A, Local Education Authority Primary School, Nyanya, Government Secondary School (GSS), Nyanya and others.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of NOA, Mr. Garba Abari said the agency embarked on the visit to schools to monitor the level of COVID- 19 compliance and sensitise them on dangers inherent in deviance to the adherence directives.
He said that the agency would continue to emphasise on hygiene, social distancing and wearing of facemasks.
“It is always to emphasise on good sanitation because they are children and that way, we minimise the spread of the virus.
“If we observe the protocols and when the children see it, they will adhere to it,” he said.
Abari urged the students to always take responsibility by wearing their facemasks and wash their hands to avoid spread of COVID-19.
“If you don’t want to give your parents and loved ones Coronavirus, always wash your hand, wear your facemask and maintain social distancing,”he advised.
He observed that there was no adequate social distancing in the schools visited in Nasarawa state due to the sizes of the classrooms.
“The way the schools are built cannot guarantee adequate social distancing due to the large number of students.
“We require additional classrooms or they take chairs outside to accommodate them conveniently,”he added.
Speaking also, the Director NOA, Nasarawa State, Dr Priscilla Gondoaluor said the agency is doing its best to ensure maximum compliance in the state.
She stressed that similar sensitisation programmes are going on in all the L.G.A in the state to sensitise people and schools to control community transmission.
Responding, the Headmaster, LEA, Nyanya, Mr Sam Apollos, said that safety protocols are in place to curtail the spread of the virus in school.
“Right from the gate, you will see that measures are in place and we have isolation centre here, but unfortunately, there is no case of the outbreak.
“Every morning, we are at the gate to ensure that every pupil here enters the school with facemask and we send anyone who fails to come to school with it,” he said.
A Senior Secondary School (SSS 3) student from GDSS, Aso Pada, Maria Ugwu, said she found it uncomfortable to wear facemask but managed to wear due to the virus.
“A lot of students complain of wearing of facemask because once you wear it, the mode of breathing becomes difficult,” she said.
Ugwu also said that the impact of Coronavirus affected her academically as the mock exam she was preparing to write was postponed.
“Even the WAEC registration that ought to have commenced last September was postponed and I don’t know if it will start at the appropriate time,”she added.
She pleaded with government to provide more seats and classrooms for the school.
Reports state that NOA donated water containers, bottles of sanitisers, facemasks and soaps to all the school visited.