Builsa South Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Clement Apaak, has asked the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof Opoku-Amankwa, to accept his weakness and respond swiftly to the safety of children in the schools.
Dr. Apaak’s comment comes in reaction to a breakdown by Prof Opoku-Amankwa on January 29, 2021, detailing personal protective equipments (PPEs) said to have been distributed to schools across the country.
According to the Director-General, 10 million Face masks, Hand sanitizers 9.9million; 6-in-1 tissue paper 1.65million, 4.5 Gallon liquids soap 400,000, Veronica buckets 53,000, Thermometer Guns 38,000, 4.5 Gallon Hand sanitizers 140,000, Electronic dispensers, 25,000, Face shields, 300,000 were distributed nationwide to schools.
He also said his outfit has specially trained 52,000 teachers to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in schools across the country.
But in an interaction with A1Radioonline.com, Dr. Apaak said “Reports from media outlets and a statement made on the floor of Parliament by Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba, Member of Parliament for Pusiga, indicated that several schools either had not received PPEs at all or didn’t receive the full compliments of PPEs as expected: she notes in some instances, nose masks only; in other instances, nose masks and sanitizers but no liquid soaps or veronica buckets; and in some cases, veronica buckets, liquid soaps without nose masks, etc.”
He continued that “Given the above, and to ensure that there is accountability, as well as to allow stakeholders to verify the claim that the PPEs have been moved from the center, I would wish the Director-General gave us detailed information beyond just the quantities of various supplies constituting the PPEs.”
“What quantities were sent to each of the sixteen regions? When were the PPEs dispatched to the various regions? When did the PPEs arrive in the various regions? What instructions accompanied the distribution of the PPEs from the regional to district levels? Are private schools included as beneficiaries of the PPEs?”
Dr. Apaak believes “Answers to the above questions will help expose and deal with shortcomings and perhaps, dereliction of duty on the part of those responsible for ensuring that adequate PPEs were/are in our schools.”
This according to him “Would help us as a nation address any obstacles, human or otherwise, in the supply chain, to ensure that PPEs are where they are needed and are replenished timely.”
Touching on the observation of social distancing amongst students at various schools, Dr. Apaak said “How do we expect social or physical distancing when four students share a desk meant for two? How do we ensure social or physical distancing when classrooms have eighty or more students?
Are plans in place to immediately supply furniture deficient schools with further? If the shift system is adopted to decongest schools, would the same teachers teach both shifts, or new teachers would be recruited? If the same teachers would teach shifts, what plans have been made to compensate them for the additional work?”
He went on to called on the government to take the safety of pupils regarding COVID-19 seriously; as it has been confirmed that the new variant infects children.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Ghana
