No more interstate transportation of corpses

Governor Gabriel Suswam Benue State has directed that with immediate effect, there should no longer be any form of inter-state transportation of corpses especially of case where the cause of death is not clear except there is a waiver, as part of precautionary measures to check possible the outbreak of Ebola disease in the state.

Orduen Abunku, the state commissioner for health and human services, who made government position known in Makurdi, Benue State capital during a one-day public enlightenment and sensitisation campaign against Ebola Virus organised by the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in conjunction with  the state Ministry for Health and Human Services, said the ministry will in addition to holding discussions with all faith-based organisations in the state, sponsor radio messages in all the local languages in the  state which will be targeted at market women, students and transport unions.

Abunku disclosed that two treatment centres have been designated in the state at the Benue state University Teaching Hospital and Federal Medical Centre all in Makurdi, to handle cases of Ebola disease in the event of its possible outbreak and called for a defined channel of communication in order to avoid panic by members of the public.

Earlier in a welcome address, Solomon Wombo, the special adviser to the governor on bureau for local  government and chieftaincy affairs, said the sensitisation workshop was part of proactive steps towards checkmating the incidence of Ebola disease in the state and advised the people to always cross-check information concerning the Ebola virus in order to avoid panic.

In a related development, Abba Moro, the minister of interior, has urged Nigerians not to panic over the outbreak of the Ebola disease but collaborate with federal government in her bid to control and eradicate the pandemic.

Moro, who stated this in Makurdi, contended that the Federal Government was determined to check the spread of the virus and had already put “multi sectoral-committees in place to address the scourge,” adding that the Ebola was a health condition that had challenged the global sector and sued for strict adherence to medical advice to check its spread.

The Minister, while warning Nigerians against unnecessary fear and panic over the scourge, explained that it would make matters worse for the nation by negatively affecting the impact of the current response to the disease by government.

Barnes Agirigi