BY JOKE ADENIYI-JACKSON
Nine secondary schools in Kwara State have benefitted First Aids Kits donated by the National Lottery Commission Trust Fund.
The educational institutions selected from the three senatorial districts of the state are beneficiaries of the first phase of the programme by the commission.
The schools are Army Day Secondary School, Sobi; Awulesoro High School, Owa-Kajola; Senior Secondary School, Alamo Oja; Ansarul Islam College, Ikotun Ile and Junior Secondary School, Adena.
Others are Government Day Secondary School, Alore; Junior Secondary School, Gbabe, Govt Day Secondary School, Omode and Government Secondary School, Agbaku Aga.
Taking delivery of the items, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Ayodeji Maryam Garba, expressed appreciation to the commission for the provision of standard First Aids kits.
She explained that the items were donated to selected schools in ‘hard to reach’ areas, where there are no easy access to medical attention and healthcare service delivery.
She therefore implored the benefitting schools to make judicious use of the First Aid kits so that the objective will not be defeated.
“This will go a long way if our schools use it judiciously. The items should not be shared among principals and teachers. It is meant for students,” adding that the School Services Department of the ministry would ensure monitoring to ensure that the items are put to proper use.
Garba, who noted that the National Lottery Commission has been supporting the education sector of the state, appealed that more secondary schools should be considered in subsequent exercise by the agency.
She recalled that the agency had last year provided sporting equipment to over 50 primary schools across the State.
The Permanent Secretary, who noted that schools collect medical fees from students, called on the managements to ensure provision of standard first aids kits.
Earlier, the Zonal Coordinator, North Central, National Lottery Commission Trust Fund, Mr. Bankole Kamal disclosed that nine schools were selected from each state and the Federal Capital Territory to benefit from the first phase of the programme.
Kamal, who further disclosed that the commission had decided to focus on health services this year, said that the programme is in line with presidential directive and approval.
“We are starting from secondary schools because we have done our survey and discover that more than 90 per cent of secondary schools in Nigeria don’t have first aid kits, which is a basic thing that a school should have.”
He then advised schools to restock the first aid box with consumables so that the boxes do not end up as scraps.
“That is where the state government will have to come in by way of supporting or monitoring so that the objective is not defeated. We do monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the things we give out are put to proper use, “he added.
