October 10, 2014 – The Lagos State Government has assured residents of the state who are into hotels and hospitality in the state, stressing that the state is free of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and safe for business and tourism.
Commissioner for Tourism & Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Disun Holloway made this assertion while meeting with representatives of some large hotels in the state who were in his office to rub minds on how to make things better as a result of low sales since EVD afflicted the state.
According to him, the state has developed the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDA) at Yaba to a modern facility for research and development of contagious diseases apart from Ebola, as a measure of preparedness for future eventuality.
He said that Lagos has also put machinery in place to continuously research on how the virus can be prevented while it is aggressively seeking for cure to the ailment.
He explained that the decision to bring hotel owners together was borne out of the desire to share experiences with a view to fashion out solutions to low patronage since the outbreak of the disease in Lagos.
Giving assurance that the disease has been fully contained in the state, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Aderemi Desalu said there is no case of Ebola presently in Lagos, adding that all suspected victims have been treated and discharged,
He revealed that since the 18th of September, 2014 when the last victim was discharged, there has been no report of any new case and called for proper hygiene and awareness, while also correcting the negative perception in some quarters about the deadly disease.
While addressing the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba said the way government across board, especially Lagos State tackled the disease showed that the Babatunde Fashola led administration is leaving no stone unturned in the quest to combat all such diseases. He added that containing Ebola in an urban place like Lagos lends credence to the fact that the present administration is always prepared for emergencies.
Acknowledging the prompt response by the State government, General Manager, Southern Sun Hotel, Mr. Mark Lokley noted that global awareness has led to more education about the disease, adding however that the occupancy in hotels had dropped and that more needed to be done to bring clients back.
On his own part, Mr. David Kliegh of the Federal Palace Hotel spoke on the need to get an official endorsement from the State Government, making specific clarification about the containment of the disease in the state.
He also called for an event jointly organized by the State government and hoteliers showcasing that the disease has been fully contained in Lagos State.
Other hotels represented at the meeting include Lagos Oriental Hotel and the Wheatbaker among others
