Date: 2014-10-10

The Kwara Government said it had designated 17 centres across the 16 local government areas in the state as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) training centres for teachers.

Alhaji Alabi Lamidi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, disclosed this on Friday in Ilorin while handing over EVD preventive kits to public and private schools.

He said that all the local government councils had a designated centre each except Ifelodun council, which was assigned two centres at ECWA Secondary School, Igbaja, and Community Secondary School, Babanloma.

``Initially eight zones were designated but in order to make it more accessible it was increased to 17,” he said.

Lamidi said that the government had cancelled midterm holiday across the state due to the long vacation that had resulted to lose academic in schools.

He called on teachers and students to work very hard to make-up for the valuable time lost.

Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, Director, Quality Assurance Bureau of the Ministry, noted that the government had presented all in the state with infra-red thermometers.

He said other EVD preventive tools distributed to schools consisted of hand wash kits including sanitizers, bowls, towels and customized polythene bags.

Abubakar added that students would also be sensitized on EVD prevention.

Mr Adetunji Abdulrahman, President, National Association of Private School Proprietors (NAPSP), said the association had been collaborating with the state government all along on the issue of EVD prevention.

``We are also going to complement government’s efforts by ensuring that all private schools provide running water in the schools as well as buckets,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that private and public schools are expected to resume on Wed. Oct. 15, after the training of teachers on Oct. 14. (NAN)