The wife of the Osun State Governor, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, has urged school authorities to take active steps in ensuring clean environment across schools in the state, AMILOADED reports.
The Osun First Lady made the call while speaking at the flag off of the ‘2021 De-Worming Programme’ for all pupils in public primary schools in Osun State on Tuesday.
Mrs Oyetola, who was delighted for the invitation by the organisers of the event, O-Meal, said the program has shown the mindfulness of the O-Meal Authority towards ensuring pupils in Osun State are given nutritious meal in schools as they are not allowed to have worm infection.
She said, “I am impressed that the O-Meal Authority has continued to make this exercise a regular one. It goes to show the commitment of the Authority to the success of the efforts of the State Government at giving virile and accessible health care system to our children. This program also shows the mindfulness of the O-Meal Authority to the fact that as our pupils are given nutritious meal in schools; they are not allowed to have worm infestation.
“The present administration in the State of Osun told us at inception its resolute determination to bring a positive paradigm change to the standard of living of our people. Over two-years in office now, various assessing bodies have continued to return excellent rating on the programs and projects of the Oyetola Administration. These successes occurred because of the commitment of various Ministries and Agencies of Government in the State.
“On behalf of my husband, I thank you all for your support. However, we must not rest on our oars. There is a need for all of us to put our eyes on the ball of overall success more than ever before.
“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 caused a major setback in the implementation of the designed programs of the State Government. We thank God that the whole world is gradually flattening the curve.
“However, the pandemic has huge impact on us in the State of Osun. It impacted heavily on our economy and the expenditure of the State. We therefore must do more than the usual now in a various Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure the sustenance of the good work that was started by the Oyetola administration.
“Programs such as we are having today would help enhance the health of our people. Health is a key component of productivity. We therefore must do everything to keep our people healthy. This will help us to generate more wealth for the benefit of the state.”
The Osun First Lady added, “When I attended this program on November 18th of 2019, I urged our school authorities to take active steps in ensuring the availability of clean and decent toilets in our schools. I want to repeat the same charge to you today.
“We need our children to deeply be immersed in the culture of using toilets and washing of hands with soaps. We have started witnessing a turnaround in the practice of open defecation in the State. More and more communities and local government areas in the State are being assessed, peer-reviewed, and certificated to have abandoned the practice.
“The time has therefore come to actively promote the message of hygiene in our schools. In those days, we used to get our students sing at Assemblies songs that carry this message. Let us revisit this old trait. Our children should individually be made to become ambassador of making our State Open Defecation Free.
“We may need to float Sanitation Clubs in our Schools to optimize the consciousness of hygiene and usage of toilets among our students. My Foundation, the IleriOluwa Development Initiative would come up with a promotional mechanism soon to stir up active competition among the Sanitation Clubs of schools, when and where they are established,” Mrs Oyetola said.
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