The Federal Fire Service on Friday described as untrue reports that its officials invaded the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero Ekiti.
The service said reports that over 100 students of the college collapsed and hospitalised as a result of forceful decontamination exercise carried out by the Agency were not true as well.
It noted that its conduct of decontamination exercise in the School in respect of COVID-19 followed all approved guidelines and protocols.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Service, Ugo Huan, the clarification has become necessary following series of misrepresentations on the event leading to the health conditions of the students.
Mrs Huan said that the Federal Fire Service got approval to carry the decontamination exercise on the day and hours the exercise was conducted.
She noted that while the exercise was being carried out, reports came that some students had been affected by the adverse effects of the decontamination.
Said Huan: “Trouble started 15 minutes after the decontamination exercise started with reports that some students had collapsed due to the adverse effect of the decontamination exercise.
The agency however expressed regret over the unfortunate incident.
While the Service commended the intervention of the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, it reiterated its commitment to safety of lives of the citizens.
“We want to categorically state that, the Federal Fire Service has trained all its men involved in the decontamination exercise against the spread of Covid-19 in the wake of the outbreak of Covid- 19.
“The Service in partnership with the ministry of environment flagged of the decontamination exercise,” Huan said.
She added that the Service
conducting investigations on why the incident happened in Ekiti since it is on record that such decontamination exercise have taken place in other institutions without any incident.
“The isolated case in the School of Health Science and Technology, Ijero, Ekiti is quite unfortunate.
“The service is partnering with the State Government in the investigation already instituted by the State Government to ascertain the cause and to avert future occurrence.
“To also find out why did this unfortunate incident happened in only School of health and Technology, Ijero Ekiti and not other schools where our men have carried out same decontamination exercises,” Huan stated
Governor Kayode Fayemi had since suspended the provost of the college and constituted eight man committee to investigate the incident.
The committee headed by the commissioner for Health. Dr Oyebanji Filani has two weeks to submit its report.
