Covid-19:  FRSC counsels transporters on temperature checks … as Navy cancels resumption trainings for new recruits

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has counselled transporters in Anambra State on temperature checks amongst other health preventive measures during this period of Covid-19 pandemic.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday to pressmen by the Sector Commander, FRSC, Anambra State, Mr. Andrew Ayodele Kumapayi, who said they were engaging transport owners in the state on maintaining environmental hygiene, provision of temperature checks, handwashing and sanitising points at the parks and terminals across the state towards curbing the spread of the deadly pandemic.

He noted that it was one of the core mandates of the commission to carry out public awareness programmes on safety precautions in order to thwart any unforeseen contingencies especially now that Nigeria is experiencing it daily.

Kumapayi posited that it became necessary to sensitize on preventive education towards making transporters to be fully involved in the fight against the deadly virus.

He maintained that the parks visited for the sensitisation programme provided veritable platforms to engage park managers, drivers and passengers alike on the need to be proactive in observing all the Covid-19 preventive advisories  by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“Anambra State Sector Command under the leadership of the Sector Commander, CC Andrew A. Kumapayi, in compliance to the directives of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi on ensuring with vigor, full implementation of the Presidential directives on the partial easing of the lock down occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, had on Tuesday 5th May, 2020 begun engaging transport owners in Anambra State on maintaining environmental hygiene and other rules put in place by the government and NCDC to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“The team from RS5.3 Anambra State Sector Command, made up of the Ag. Sector Head of Operation, ACC Okora Awassam, the Staff Officer Operations 1, SRC Uchechukwu K. Izuegbu and the Sector Public Education Officer, RC Pascal A. Anigbo visited the Awka-Onitsha Old Road Park at Ukwu-Orji, Eastern Mass Transit and Ekwulobia Mass Transit, along Ziks Avenue, Awka.

“The park managers, drivers and passengers at the various parks visited were adequately engaged on critical issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rules put in place by the Government and Health Authorities to checkmate the spread of the virus, which includes: temperature checks, regular washing of hands with soap and flowing water,” Kumapayi said.

He, however, averred the transporters were advised to sensitise their passengers to wash/sanitize their hands thoroughly with water and soap as well alcohol based hand sanitizers provided by the park management, mandatory putting on of protective face masks and maintaining  social/physical distance respectively.

“The need to adhere to the prescribed number of passengers they are to carry (buses to carry only two passengers, each at the extreme end of each row and tricycles to carry only two passengers).

“Prohibition of night travels as curfew starts 8pm to 6am each day, nationwide and as directed by the Federal Government,” Kumapayi said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has cancelled the resumption for training of its new recruits.

In a statement obtained from its website on Tuesday said the Federal Government agency has suspended the resumption for training of successful candidates of the NNBTS Batch 30.

“The candidates were initially scheduled to commence training at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School, Onne Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on May 8, 2020.

“However, this resumption date is no longer feasible in view of the current national efforts at containing the spread of Covid-19,” the statement said.