The Senate on Thursday ordered a compulsory quarantining of any traveller from China to Nigeria, either through the air or seaports, to prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus.
This is even as the Red Chamber called for thorough screening of travellers from any part of the world into the country as a way of preventing any carrier of the deadly disease from entering the country .
Senate’s resolution was a sequel to submissions made by the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice ( APC, Ondo North) on the lack of preventive measures against the virus in Nigeria at all stages.
Boroffice drew the attention of the Senate to the looming danger of the virus entering Nigeria if required measures are not put in place, citing the examples of thorough screening he was subjected to, in South Africa and make belief one, he experienced in Nigeria a few days back.
“I was in South Africa on Friday last week. I came back Wednesday this week. Because of the issue of coronavirus, every country in the world is taking preventive measures because the wisdom is that prevention is better than cure.
“In South Africa, we were not allowed to leave the aircraft for good 30 minutes. Officers of the medical corps came into the aircraft and screened everybody before we were allowed out but when I arrived on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, there was no screening.
“All we were given is a sheet of paper to indicate whether we were sick and whether we have been to one country or the other and how we will be contacted if there is an emergency.
“This to me is no screening and baffling because how will they trail me? How we they know if I have fallen sick or not. This is very frightening.
“Something has to be done to ensure that we do not give way to a situation which we will not be able to control.
“Countries that have adequate medical facilities are working hard to ensure that they contain the spread of coronavirus. From what I saw on arrival on Wednesday, nothing is being put on ground here to contain anything.”
Consequently the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks said: “We must be prepared. We must take all the necessary measures at our ports – airports, seaports. If someone is coming from China, he should be quarantined, not self-isolation.
“While the federal ministry of health and the associated agencies may be doing their best, with this explanation, this best is not good enough and we should not take anything for granted,” he said.
He urged the committees on primary healthcare and health to engage with the federal ministry of health, stressing that every possible effort should be taken at the nation’s airports or seaports.
