Ebola: Rivers, FG Clash On School Resumption Date

The Rivers State government and the Federal Government have clashed over the September 22, schools resumption date as the state government insisted that schools may not yet resume.

According to Vanguard, the state commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, who made this known on Wednesday, explained that schools in the state may not resume because of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.

READ ALSO: Hold Jonathan Responsible If Ebola Spreads – APC

The commissioner also revealed that currently, there were about 340 persons under surveillance in the state. He said they want to be certain that the situation had been completely brought under control before schools would be allowed to resume.

In a related development, Nicholas Brunet, the Deputy Managing Director, Total E&P, Port Harcourt district, who donated an ambulance and two pickup trucks to the government on behalf of the oil company, described the outbreak of EVD in some West Africa countries as a big challenge to the world.

Meanwhile, Daily Independent had earlier reported that the commissioner for Health, Sampson Parker, said the state government, in collaboration with Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) on Ebola in the state, has earmarked a whooping sum of N1 billion to combat the dreaded Ebola virus disease in the state.

READ ALSO: EBOLA: My Survival Story – Dr. Ada Igonoh Recounts Ordeal

The EOC comprise state Ministry of Health and international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Meanwhile, Dan Nwomeh, the Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health in his tweets below confirmed that Ebola Virus has been brought under control in Nigeria.The deadly Ebola virus was brought into the country by the late American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer. It would be recalled that Federal Government had earlier announced that primary and secondary schools across the country should resume academic activities on 22 September, 2014. The disease has so far killed seven people across the country. The Nigerian Ministry of Health on September 2, 2014, announced the death of an elderly woman who contracted the deadly virus in Port Harcourt, while on admission in the same hospital wherelate Dr Enemoah died.

Read More

Ebola: Governor Mimiko Reacts To Resumption Date

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State has advised schools proprietors and parents to stop agitating for early resumption of schools across the country.

This was announced at the weekend in Akure, the state capital by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, at the public presentation/investiture ceremony of Mr. Bode Akinwumi as the 28th President of the Akure/Owena Lions Clubs for 2014-2015 Lions year, This Day reports.

READ ALSO: Medical Practitioners Advise Hospitals Over Ebola Virus

He said the governor urged parents and proprietors to allow the Federal Government exploit all necessary measures in ensuring that the country is free from the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Adeyanju further revealed that the state government has already put in place measures to contain the spread of the disease in the state. He urged residents to always abide by instruction from medical practitioners in order to avoid contracting the deadly disease.

The commissioner, who expressed optimism that Ebola will be fully contained, said there had been other deadly diseases that have come and gone in the past, and advised that all the was needed is for people to follow the instructions about the disease. He said residents should call if there is any suspicious case of Ebola, and pleaded to residents to always ask questions.

READ ALSO: Ebola: FG Bows To Negative Pressure

“If our students must go back to school, they should not go back in trouble, we should not forget that only one case in Lagos brought problem to the whole country, so there is need for us to be in a hurry about our children’s resumption date” he said.

Following the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria on July 20, 2014, the federal government in its effort to curb the disease from further spreading across the country, directed that school resumption across the country should be postponed.

The decision reportedly sparked a lot of reactions from schools proprietors and parents. On the September 13, 2014, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State cleared the air on theanticipated resumption date for public and private schools as directed by the Federal Government.

It would be recalled that Federal Government had earlier announced that primary and secondary schools across the country should resume academic activities on 22 September,2014

Read More