Nigeria has been battling with the Ebola virus for over two months now since Liberian-American ECOWAS Diplomat, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, brought the virus into the nation.
Since the virus crept into River state, The Rivers state government has said that they have not seen the N200m assistance the FG promised them despite Lagos State receiving the sum.
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Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Sampson Parker said that the Amaechi led government has however allocated a budget of N1bn from Emergency Operation Committee to fight EVD in the State.
He said: “Well, I am still waiting; the Minister (of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu), has visited us and he said he was going to do something. So, I am waiting”.
He said that even though its early to start accounting the amount spent on fighting the virus.
Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has already given about N300 million and will continue to do more.
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He said:“The Governor will continue to release more funds; we are paying salaries daily. We are paying allowances daily. The expenditure is a daily occurrence. We will continue to spend. We have a budget of about N1bn combined. It is not just Rivers State Ministry of Health.
“It is from Emergency Operation Committee, comprising the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, and Centre for Disease Control. That is the EOC, it is not Rivers State. So, that is what we are budgeting. That is our projection for Rivers State. The Governor has promised us that whenever we need resources, he is ready to make them available.”
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The Commissioner however said it is not yet time to start celebraing the end of Ebola, and said that as long as there are cases out in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
When asked if the Rivers State government had any plans to screen potential visitors, he said: “We have a very robust set up, not only for treatment but also for prevention. All the points of entry, coming in by bus, by air and by sea are all covered. We can do just that much, I always say that no matter how careful you are, a bad man is always a bad man; just as Ibukun (Koye) escaped Lagos and came to Port Harcourt. And, there was somebody that gave him a room.
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“In war, where everywhere is tight, you see people escaping tough gun battle and going to another country. It is like that. And, again, that brings the fact that it is not yet time to celebrate until we sort out the issues in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Those are human beings; and, in every human being, the survival instinct is high. If anyone escapes in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the place they will think of is Nigeria.
“No matter how tight we put our security, they will find a way to break through. The best way to prevent this disease from coming into Nigeria is to go there; the international community, Nigeria, West Africa community and Africa should go there and solve their problems. If you don’t solve their problems, one way or the other, they will break through into other countries.”
Last Week, Health minister Chukwu said: “We know now that there is no place in Nigeria now that we are treating anyone for EVD, but we have not started celebrating yet for the simple reason that we have not yet won the war.
We do not want surprises. “No one for now has active EVD in Nigeria, but that is not to say that will be surprised if we have one tomorrow”.
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