Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has commended the Federal and Lagos state governments for curbing the spread of the Ebola virus in the country.
The former President stated this at the opening ceremony of the 11th Biennial International Conference on “Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa” organized by the African Centre for Research and Information on substance Abuse (CRISA).
This came as Ogun State government has procured a variety of emergency supplies including specialised Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) as part of its efforts at strengthening its preparedness towards curtailing the sudden outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Sequel to this development, Officers of the State Ministry of Health have sensitised Environmental Health Officers Association on safe practices relevant to viral hemorrhagic fever containment.
Obasanjo who however, submitted that if the attention given to the dreaded virus had been given to the abducted Chibok girls about three months ago, the story could have been different today.
He called for collective efforts at the West African region to stem the tide of the virus in the region.
According to him: “I have always believed that where we have done well we should be able to commend ourselves whether or not anybody comments. On the other hand, where we have not done well enough, we should be bold and courageous enough to admit our failing, show remorse and make correction.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Lagos State Government and the Federal government separately and collectively have done very well in the prompt measures taken to stem the tide of Ebola disease and to prevent the spread into an epidemic proportion both in Lagos and in the country .
“We should hail these efforts which are in contrast to the efforts and time deployed to rescue the 276 Chibok girls abducted. The difference is clear and the results are obvious. Where we fail like in Chibok, no excuse will absolve us from the responsibility and guilt that will remain for years and decades to come.
Receiving the PPEs, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Daisi Odeniyi said that other efforts of the state towards curtailing the disease included visitation of the State Steering Committee to the isolation centers being prepared by the state to further step up the capacity to combat any outbreak of the disease.
The Permanent Secretary further said that the regular meeting of the Emergency Operation Committee and the Sub-Committees on ebola would take place as the State continues to implement its Emergency Response plan. [Vanguard]
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