Agu Dawn, Abuja
Given the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the federal government has commenced the disinfestation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in order to guarantee safe and conducive environment for the residents.
Flagging off the National Decontamination and Disinfestation of FCT and other States at the Federal Fire Service (FFS) headquarters in Abuja yesterday, the minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar said that the exercise would be extended to other States.
He noted that the exercise is a collaborative effort between the ministries of Environment and Interior, aimed at curtailing the spread of Covid-19 across the country.
The minister stated that the FFS has trucks that would be used to decontaminate the FCT while Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), which is an agency under the ministry of Environment has the expertise that would mix the chemicals according to the United Nations specifications.
He pointed out that the exercise would capture all the danger-prone zones, adding that the immediate areas that would be decontaminated are motorparks, markets and government offices.
Abubakar hinted that the exercise would be extended to residential areas after the decontamination of high-risk areas, just as he enjoined the publics to cooperate with the officers and abide by the rules and regulations on the fight against Covid-19.
Also speaking, the acting registrar of EHORECON, Dr Yakubu Baba assured that the chemicals is not harmful to health, adding that its approved by the United Nations and certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He revealed that the Council had earlier conducted the mapping of high-risk areas for the decontamination, stating that the chemical is user-friendly and also safe for the environment.
On his part, the Comptroller general of FFS, Ibrahim Liman noted that the service has been preparing for the fumigation for the past three weeks, assuring that FFS would do its best to guarantee safe environment.