Universities, Zoomlion launch nationwide disinfection exercise

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu has announced plans by the university to invest in e-learning to be able to admit more free senior high school graduates.  

He said it was imperative to consider online as a useful tool to addressing accommodation challenges that confronted most tertiary institutions in Ghana.

Prof. Owusu was speaking at the launch of a nationwide disinfection of all tertiary institutions by Zoomlion Ghana Limited at the University of Ghana yesterday.

The Vice Chancellor noted that the use of online in the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Ghana for teaching and learning activities had yielded positive result and asked other universities to utilise it.

It is recalled that teaching and learning activities came to a halt in March, 2020 following the outbreak of the disease also known as (COVID-19).

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo subsequently lockdown Accra, Kumasi and Tamale as part of efforts to contain the virus.

Few weeks ago, the President eased restrictions on the mitigation factors including the order for final year university students to return to school.

Learning does not only take place in a physical space, Prof. Owusu observed and stated that Ghana needed to adopt strategic measures if it was to catch up with the rest of the world.

Importantly, Prof. Owusu who is the chairman of Vice Chancellors Ghana, said students should observe social distancing protocols, use alcohol-based hand sanitisers, use face masks and regularly wash hands with soap under running water.

Prof. Owusu appealed to the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh to organise fumigation of students’ hostels to rid them of bed bugs.

For his part, Dr Prempeh said the disinfection would take place at public and private tertiary institutions including basic schools.

Responding to the request for fumigation, Dr Prempeh said he would help in that regard.

While thanking Zoomlion Ghana Limited for its tremendous support towards the promotion of good hygienic practices, he urged them to continue to provide quality services.

Mrs Florence Larbi, the Managing Director of Zoomlion said the company had deployed motorised boom sprayers and knapsack to rid viruses, fungi, bacteria and other vector causing diseases.

She said Zoomlion offered its disinfection/ fumigation exercise at a 50 per cent discount and urged individuals and organisation to take advantage of that.

Zoomlion Ghana Limited had earlier this year, carried out disinfection of markets, lorry stations, drains, schools including specialised facilities such as the Akropong School for the Blind, universities, technical institutions and many others.

The company was executing the project under the auspices of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Last month, Zoomlion fumigated/disinfected more than 4,000 police facilities nationwide.

BY MALIK SULLEMANA