…Urges them to adhere strictly to COVID-19 preventive measures

To ensure the safety of primary school pupils from the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board has distributed thousands of face masks to schools in the State, as schools resume for academic activities.

Presenting the items, which was donated by Female Appointees of Governor Udom Emmanuel at St. Michael’s Primary School grounds, Effiat Offot, Uyo, the Executive Chairman, SUBEB, Akwa Ibom State, Prof Maria Ikorok tasked the pupils on the proper use of the face masks in order to forestall the spread of COVID-19.

Prof Ikorok urged headteachers to extend to teachers within their schools the knowledge gained from the last Akwa Ibom State Government’s COVID-19 training programme. She charged the teachers to sensitize pupils on the need to regularly wash their hands, observe social distancing in class and also attend to any case of illness noticed among pupils.

She commended Governor Emmanuel for being proactive and also personally leading the fight against COVID-19 in the state; promptly paying teacher’s salary as a palliative to attend to their needs even while at home.

The Don noted that Governor Udom has a commitment to improving the education and health sectors, as witnessed in the improved status of schools and the health facilities in the State. She tasked teachers to be exemplary by adhering strictly to COVID-19 protocol and prevention guidelines so that the children will replicate and save the State from the spread of the deadly virus.

The SUBEB Executive Chairman who was represented by the Director, Social Mobilisation, SUBEB, Mrs. Ammah Israel directed the teachers to immediately commence teaching with Primary Six pupils, in preparation for their placement examination billed to hold in the next two weeks.

The SUBEB boss in the company of the Director of School Services, SUBEB, Mrs. Mandu Ekpenyong, Director Pre-Primary/Primary School, Ministry of Education, Barr. Theresa Attih and Head of Training, SUBEB, Mrs. Charity Namseh also visited St. Patrick‘s School, Iboko Offot, Uyo; Christ the King Catholic School, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo and other schools, where pupils filed out to receive the face masks one after another and were orientated on the proper use of the face mask.

In their separate remarks, the Head Teacher, St. Michael’s Primary School, Effiat Offot, Uyo, Deaconess Victoria Jacob and that of St. Patrick‘s School, Iboko Offot, Uyo, Mrs. Etim Bassey appreciated the donors for the kind gesture and promised to uphold the COVID-19 protocols and prevention guidelines.