THE National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), on Tuesday donated First Aid Kits and drugs to nine secondary schools in the Kogi to enhance first aid treatment in the state.

The Zonal Coordinator, North-Central of NLTF, Mr Bankole Kamor, disclosed this while presenting the kits to principals of the benefiting schools at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Lokoja.

The secondary schools are:ECWA Secondary School, Mopa, Government Secondary Schol, Giriya,Oga/Okpo Grammar School, Ayebelewo, Titcom College, Egbe and Government Secondary School, Ogotu.

Others are:Osara Sceondary School, Osara,  Government Secondary School, Abuko Okupa, Ihima Community Secondary School, Obeiba and Oke-Oyi Secondary School, Ponyan.

Kamor said that the fund was established under the National Lottery Act 35 of 2005.

According to him, the fund is to collect and keep the proceeds due for lottery activities across the country and use them to promote good causes for Nigerians.

“On behalf of the Federal Government, we charge minimum of 20 per cent of proceeds that organisations generated during promo.

“Last year, we distributed sports wears and equipment to schools. This time, we are concentrating on health because we found out that most schools across this country lack first aid.

“We now came up with this idea to donate first aid kits with drugs to nine schools in each state across the country, including FCT. ‘

‘We have done for primary schools in 2017,’’ he said.

Kamor urged the state government, through the Ministry of Education, to support the benefiting secondary school, to ensure proper usage of the drugs and replacement and sustain the kits to ensure their continuity.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, commended the fund for the gesture.

‘’Medical aid is always on high demand and we need more of it,’’ she said.

Osikoya, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Science and Technology, Mr Moses Abara, however, warned the principals of the affected schools not to convert the kits to personal use.

According to the commissioner, the items must be used judiciously and for the purpose intended and handled with care by qualified health officers in their various schools.

She also said that the ministry would be conducting regular routine checks to ensure that the items were properly handled and judiciously utilised.

The commissioner, who assured the fund that the ministry would ensure proper usage of the drugs and replacement for sustainability, directed the state Teaching Service Commission to ensure proper monitoring of the items.

Mr Kayode Joseph, the Principal of ECWA Secondary School (ESSMO), Mopa, who spoke on behalf of the principals, thanked the fund for the gesture.

‘’We are saying a big thank you for the gesture.

“We promise to make good use of the items and always replace the drugs as soon as they are exhausted,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items contain: stethoscope, thermometer, scissors, kidney dishes, face masks, plasters, surgical gloves, antiseptic cream, paracetamol, vasoprin tablets, hydrogen peroxide, among others. (NAN)

– Apr. 17, 2018 @ 18:20 GMT

AE