The Federal Fire Service has explained its role in the decontamination exercise at the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero Ekiti, where some students were subsequently hospitalized.
The FFS in a statement signed on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, Ugo Huan, said adequate notice for vacation of the premises of the school was given before the decontamination exercise was embarked on.
The statement read: “We’ve read with great dismay reports going round in some sections of the Media that the Covid-19 Response Team of the Federal Fire Service invaded the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero Ekiti without the permission of the school authority and unprofessionally carried out decontamination of the school environment.
“The exercise which is reported to have affected the health of the students leading to the hospitalisation of some.”
Huan said the Service sympathised with the two students of the institution who were presently receiving treatment at the hospital as a result of this unfortunate incident and they were wished quick recovery.
She said: “The Service whose mandate is to save lives and property will never intentionally or unprofessionally do anything that will affect the health or lives of Nigerians.”
Huan explained the incident that happened at the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero Ekiti on Wednesday, 26th May 2021 was quite unfortunate, stressing that it was very important to make clarifications on what actually transpired so that the public would not be misguided.
She said on the 14th day of May, 2021, a letter was sent to the management of the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero Ekiti, notifying them that the Federal Fire Service Covid – 19 Response Team in the State would be coming to the School to carry out decontamination exercise and there was need for students and staff members to vacate the premises for a period of 30 minutes that the decontamination would last as that had been the usual practice in other places where the staff members of the Service had carried out decontamination exercises without any incidence.
She added that the letter was acknowledged by the school and permission was also granted.
Huan also said the COVID-19 Desk Officer called the Registrar of the Institution on the day the team was to visit the school to inform him of their coming to which he also granted permission.
She said when they got to the school the team met with the Registrar and other management staff members in the Registrar’s office where they still reiterated the need for the students and staff members to vacate the school premises and were assured by the Registrar that students and staff members had been informed of the exercise and were well out of reach as required by the safety directives.
She however said trouble started 15 minutes after the decontamination exercise had begun with reports that some students had collapsed due to the adverse effect of the decontamination exercise.
She said, on discovering this, “our men immediately stopped the decontamination, but by then the students came attacking our men almost lynching them, it took the intervention of the school security who took them to the registrar’s office and later were whisked away by armed police officers of the Rapid Response Team.”
She added that the Commander of Federal Fire Service, Ekiti State Command was later invited to Ekiti State Government House where he briefed the Governor of the State, Dr Kayode Fayemi on what transpired.
Huan said: “We want to categorically state that, the Federal Fire Service has trained all its men involved in the decontamination exercise against the spread of Covid-19 in the wake of the outbreak of Covid- 19.
“The Service in partnership with the ministry of environment flagged of the decontamination exercise. Presently the Service has established a Covid- 19 Response Team in all its State Commands made up of well trained staff and representatives of Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) and Environmental Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) in the handling of chemical used for the decontamination exercise.
“As we speak the team is doing very well and carrying out the decontamination exercise professionally in all States of the Federation with no reported case of casualty.”
She however said the isolated case in the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero, Ekiti is quite unfortunate, noting that FFS is currently partnering with the State Government in the investigation it has already instituted to ascertain the cause and to avert future occurrence.
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