The disinfection vehicle in one of universities
Tertiary institutions in the country are gearing up for reopening for continuing students following the disruption of academic activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As part of efforts to reopen the institutions, the Ministry of Education (MoE), in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), commenced the second phase of disinfecting all the campuses, both public and private, across the country.
As directed by President Akufo-Addo for tertiary institutions to reopen, the ministry and ZGL took the initiative to cover universities and polytechnics as well as some health institutions, and it forms part of the government’s continuous measures towards containing the spread of Covid-19.
In the Upper East Region, the authorities indicated their readiness following the disinfection exercise to receive continuing students back as they have put in place adequate Covid-19 preventive mechanisms to protect everyone on the campuses.
The first school that saw its open spaces, lecture halls, administration and other facilities disinfected was Millar Institute for Trans-disciplinary and Development Studies in Bolgatanga.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the exercise, the Vice-President, Academic Affairs, Paschal B. Atengden, noted that the second disinfection exercise would help protect the school space against the virus.
“I am very happy with the government and Zoomlion Ghana Limited partnership to undertake this national exercise. It is a good thing and it will help halt the spread of the virus,” he said.
The Deputy Manager, ZGL, Upper East Region, Issaka Abubarka, described day one of the exercise as successful.
In the Central Region, the Cape Coast Technical University, Kaaf University College, Ola College of Education and Komenda College of Education, among others, were disinfected.
The Central Regional Manager of ZGL, Ernest Yeboah, said they deployed 100 spraying guns, 80 motorized spraying machines and one atomizer for the exercise.
He explained that the exercise constituted the second phase of disinfecting tertiary institutions in the region, giving an assurance that his outfit would do a good job.
Richmond Yeboah, who works at the Public Affairs Department of Cape Coast Technical University, said this was the third time that such an exercise was being carried out in the school.
The first one, he said, was done free of charge after the Vice Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University, Right Reverend Engineer Professor Joshua Danso Owusu Sekyere, appealed to the Chief Executive Officer of Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw-Agyepong, for his support.
In the Volta Region, the ZGL General Manager in charge of Volta and Oti regions, Solomon Denyo, said they deployed 300 spraying gangs for the exercise.
The acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of Ho Technical University, Edward Ayimey, highly commended the government and ZGL for the effort to keep the campuses safe.
In the Ashanti Region, the disinfection team covered institutions, such as the Seventh Day Adventist College of Education (SDACOE), Agona; ST. Monica’s College of Education, Mampong; Mampong Technical College of Education, among others.
The Principal of Seventh Day Adventist College, Dr. Peter Ofori Atakorah, praised the government and its partners for the second round of disinfection in tertiary institutions to keep the environment safe from the virus.
He said the school had put in place adequate safety measures to protect the returning continuing students against the virus, adding “we will also enforce the use of nose masks by the students, the teaching and non-teaching staff members.”