FG deploys 60,000 voluntary environmental health workers

The Federal Government has deployed 60,000 Environmental Health Emergency Volunteer Corps (EHEVC) to cover schools, as the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 approved re-opening of schools across the country.

 Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar,   made this known while briefing journalists on the safe post COVID -19 re-opening of schools in Abuja.

Abubakar said the EHEVC would cover all primary and secondary schools in 774 local government areas in the country.

He said the Federal Government, through the PTF on COVID 19, decided to re-open schools, which had remained closed since February to contain the spread of the disease in the country.

According to Abubakar, the re-opening of schools is to be done in strict compliance with the directives of the PTF. 

Abubakar advised Environmental Health Officers (EHO) to set up schools environmental health clubs to ensure effective compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.

He said the club should essentially be run by selected learners as it would help to implement directives of the teachers-driven schools hygiene committees.

Registrar, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, (EHORECON), Mr. Yakubu Baba, said the council would work with the ministry to ensure that schools adhere to PTF guidelines on COVID-19.

Baba said the re-opening of schools was in stages adding that the Federal Government opened 19,000 examination centres and  that the outcome was a huge success.