In a bid to help the curtailment of the spread of COVID-19 in Ekiti State, the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti has presented some of the COVID-19 Response Innovation equipment and materials produced by the Institution to the Ekiti State Government.
Making the presentation during an exhibition of the COVID-19 Response Innovation products at the Government House Ground, Ado-Ekiti, the Rector, Dr. Dayo Oladebeye noted that the materials were produced to compliment the efforts of the State Government in curbing the spread of the pandemic in the state and also in readiness for students’ resumption.
Dr. Oladebeye therefore sought the assistance of the State Government to make the Polytechnic a COVID-19 Testing and Isolation Centre, which he remarked is one of the condition for resumption of schools as already set by the Federal Ministry of Education.
He therefore appealed for patronage from Ekiti State Government to purchase the products from the Polytechnic at affordable prices to be put in strategic Public places, Institutions and other important places which the government may deem necessary across the state.
He further appealed to the State government to help the Institution in procuring accessory materials for the Polytechnic Chain Reaction (PCR) machine already in the Polytechnic. He observed that the PCR machine if fitted with the necessary accessories is used for DNA and RNA analysis and which also happened to be the most accurate and suitable testing equipment for COVID-19.
In his address, the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Tade Aluko gave kudos to the Management of the Institution for the initiative of lending a helping hand to the Ekiti State Government in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Otunba Egbeyemi said he was impressed that all the materials were locally manufactured and made in line with local content policy of Government and therefore gave assurance that the equipment and other materials would be judiciously used for the health benefit and safety of the good people of Ekiti State.
He noted that the products made by the Polytechnic indicated that the staff and students are innovative and creative in providing solutions to the prevailing challenges facing the entire world at large and Nigeria in particular.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnerships, Mrs Margaret Fagboyo, who described the innovation as world class, commended the Polytechnoic for their kind gesture towards the fight against COVID-19.