This message must be disseminated throughout the country to ensure that Nigerians who have survived the Boko Haram insurgence by God’s grace are not claimed by the Ebola disease
July 31, 2014 – The Federal Government has been called upon to initiate Kick out Ebola campaign as part of efforts to educate Nigerians on ways of contracting the disease to prevent the spread and save the citizens from being infected.
The TUC said male and female, old and young, city dweller and rural dweller must be reached with the kick-out-Ebola campaign.
It called on the executive and legislative arms of government to take their places at the forefront, especially through the enactment of appropriate laws and generation of proactive policies.
“Indeed we implore them to use the same focus, commitment and strategies with which they canvassed for and won votes of the electorate to ensure that the war against the disease is won pronto. And they must do this as a united front irrespective of their divergent political leanings and interests. This is no time to play divisive and unfruitful politics or apportion blames to a particular political party at the expense of losing more lives to the deadly disease”, the TUC said in a statement signed by its President and Secretary, Comrades Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal .
“We are informed that the possible means of contracting the disease include contact with infected persons, bats or primates, under-cooked infected “bush meat,” infected fluids, etc. We are also advised that the virus can be killed by washing with soap, bleach, sunlight, or drying/washing machine, etc. This message must be disseminated throughout the country to ensure that Nigerians who have survived the Boko Haram insurgence by God’s grace are not claimed by the Ebola disease”, the union said.
The TUC called on the Federal Government, doctors and other health practitioners to take proactive measures towards nipping the disease in the bud.
The TUC explained that it would be suicidal to take a nonchalant attitude to the disease especially at this time when the country is facing serious security challenges which have claimed thousands of lives.
“Surely the Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) need to return quickly to the negotiating table, resolve their differences and end the strike, if only for the sake of curbing the disease and saving multitudes of Nigerians from impending doom. God alone knows the extent of socio-economic damage and dislocation the disease might cause the nation if we permit it to linger.
“All hands must be on deck to wipe out the disease. The health and information ministries must do the needful to create sufficient awareness about the danger that the disease represents and the measures by which its spread can be halted. The hospitals and health centres must be well supplied with relevant facilities to quarantine and attend to Ebola patients. And there should be a network amongst them and other public and private stakeholder agencies to facilitate prompt information sharing and dissemination on the disease.
The union appealed to the members of Boko Haram sect to embrace peace and desist from further killing of innocent Nigerians. This, the union believes remains the only way grievances can be addressed, adding that experience has shown that no nation, society or family enjoys significant development in time of catastrophes like the one plaguing the country. The union is of the view that crisis hampers progress especially when arms are involved.
