The University of Calabar, UNICAL, COVID-19 Task Force Committee has commenced the fumigation of the institution’s environment ahead of February 5 resumption date for academic activities.
Briefing journalists on Saturday, January 23, 2021, the vice-chancellor of the university, Florence Obi, said that the fumigation was part of the institution’s preparation and readiness for the resumption of academic activities on February 5.
Obi said that the gesture was coming from a good samaritan who had volunteered to fumigate the administrative buildings and other sections within the campus.
Her words: “We are very greatful to Andrew Onukansi for what he has done to the university. I want to use this opportunity to plead with the private sector, major stakeholders, and friends of Unical to come to our aid.
“Outside fumigation, we need a lot of items for our COVID-19 Taskforce Committee to effectively manage and implement the protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on campus.
“The Committee has been going round and soliciting for support from corporate bodies, friends, and well-wishers of Unical.
“This is the time we want our friends to identify with us. We want people to come to our aid; don’t just identify with us when your wards are looking for admission and employment, also identify with us at the time of our need.
“This is the time of our need, and we want to make sure that our students and staff are safe as school resume,” she said.
Obi explained that some gates leading into the university would be closed, adding that adequate measures have been put in place to provide washing hand buckets, sanitisers, and liquid soap in all the blocks and classrooms.
“We are going to have sanitisers and automatic dispenser for students and staff. Also, we are going to have an enforcement task force that will enforce the compulsory use of face mask for students, staff, and visitors on campus.
“We expect students to resume school with enough face mask for use. We have received some materials from the state government and private organisations, we are going to distribute them on the basis of first come first served,” she said.
On his part, the chairman of the COVID-19 Taskforce Committee, Kingsley Akaba, told Vanguard that the Committee had commenced sustainable advocacy for students and staff on what is expected of them on campus.
Akaba said that the advocacy was to instill the guidelines of NCDC and the Presidential Task Force with a view to ensure that the guidelines were been complied to by students and staff.
“We want to ensure that students are not scared of COVID-19 psychologically. We also want to ensure that every suspected case of COVID-19 is handled at the best standard level.
“We want to ensure a seamless academic session and adequate use of face mask on campus by all students, staff, and visitors,” he said.
Responding, Onukansi, managing director of Eshore Global Concept, who volunteered the fumigation, said that the gesture was to help the institution to prepare adequately for school resumption.
“We are residents in Calabar and our children are schooling here. We want to showcase the services we render so that as school is resuming, students and staff will have a safe environment for teaching and learning,” he said.
Source: Vanguard
