The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has advised proprietors of schools in Ogun State to establish safety desk offices in order to ensure the safety of their pupils.
Mr Joshua Ibitomi, the Ifo Unit Commander of FRSC, gave the advice at a one-day workshop for Proprietors of Private Schools on child safety education at Ifo yesterday.
The Tide reports that over 50 private schools were participating at the workshop organised by the command.
Ibitomi stressed the need for each school to have a knowledgeable desk officer that would train the children on safety issues.
According to him, it is imperative for schools across the state to have necessary tools and a desk officer to coordinate safety activities within the school.
The unit commander advised the school management to take their pupils’ safety education more seriously.
“There is the need to be cautious of health, safety and security of the pupils because of the hazardous situation confronting our children within and outside the school on a daily basis,’’ he said.
Ibitomi explained that about 15 per cent of mortality of under-aged children was due to traffic-related accidents.
In order to stem this mortality, he said the schools needed to engage parents, community and the pupils on safety tips.
“The issue of safety is a collective responsibility that cannot be left in the hand of one person alone in order not to jeopardise the lives of our children.’’
He also suggested that such desk officer should be stationed in a strategic location outside the school, armed with a flag to control motorists when children are crossing.
Mrs Oluwayemisi Adedokun, the Director of Environmental Health and Water Supply, Agbado in Ogun, also remarked that the health of children was paramount to the state.
Adedokun, therefore, advised schools with overgrowing grasses, to cut them because they attract rodents that are vendors of Lassa fever.