FG should close borders, ban flights over Ebola -Poll President Goodluck Jonathan Nigerians are of the opinion that the Federal Government should take its fight against the Ebola virus disease a step further by closing its borders, and banning flights from countries where there is an outbreak. The EVD, which first broke out in Guinea, has been declared by the World Health Organisation as “an international public health emergency that requires an extraordinary response to stop its spread.” The outcome of the PUNCH ONLINE EXTRA poll, indeed, tows the line of the WHO, indicating that a more aggressive step needs be taken to check its spread in Nigeria. Respondents were asked the question, ‘How do you think the Federal Government should tackle the Ebola Virus saga?’ The poll, which opened for voting on August 6, 2014 presented respondents with three options – ‘Close the borders’, ‘Ban flights from some countries’ and ‘Both’. Eight hundred and eighty two respondents participated in the poll, which ended on August 20, 2014. The poll showed that 104 respondents, representing 11 per cent, believe that the FG should take a step further by closing the borders. On the other hand, 112 respondents, representing 14 per cent, believe flights from Ebola-hit nations should be banned. Conversely, 666 respondents, representing 75 per cent, believe government should implement a two-prong approach – close the borders, and ban flights from Ebola-hit countries. Understandably, just as the country is still grappling with the Boko Haram insurgency, more than 200 schoolgirls still in captivity amidst other problems, the Ebola outbreak is the least the country needs. To express his apparent frustration, President Jonathan, while approving the release of N1.9bn to implement a Special Intervention Plan could not help but describe the late Patrick Sawyer, Liberian-American who brought the virus to Nigeria, as a “crazy man”. Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, believes that more needs to be done to contain its spread. He said, “I think what the Federal Government should do is to consider closing down some of our borders. We must make that choice and consider it very seriously. It is a national security issue and I think that we should give it that attention. I think that men and women who man our border posts – sea, air and land -especially the customs, now know that they are our first line of defence. It is prevention, rather than calling the health professionals to quarantine people, that is really the strongest defence against the virus.” So far 2,240 people in West Africa have died according to the WHO, with the number increasing by the day. Kenya recently upped the ante, when it said it was closing its borders to travellers from Ebola-hit nations, particularly Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Cameroon has closed its land, sea and air borders with Nigeria. Five people have died of Ebola in Nigeria, a number of others still under surveillance, but the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said that he will be the last person to suggest the closure of the borders as part of efforts to check the spread of the Ebola virus.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 20:00:31 +0000
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