The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Friday advised the Federal Government to consider closing some of the nation’s borders to ensure that the deadly Ebola virus does not spread across the border to the country.
This was just as Fashola commended the Lagos State Ministry of Health and all the health workers for their prompt response and professional conduct to ensure the prevention of the spread of the disease when a victim of the Ebola virus, who flew in from Liberia, died in a hospital in the state.
Fashola, who spoke to newsmen at a media interaction at the Lagos House, Ikeja, also urged the members of the Customs and Immigration Services at the nation’s borders to demonstrate professionalism in order to check the spread of the deadly disease into the country.
The governor, who commended management and staff of First Consultants Hospital, Lagos, who had been working relentlessly on the issue, also thanked telecom service providers for giving out toll free health lines for people to call the government health services.
According to him, the men and women at the nation’s border posts, airports, seaports and land borders, especially those of the Customs and Immigration Services, should be conscious of their added responsibility as the first line of defence for the country against the deadly disease.
He said: “Quite aside from localizing the spread, the men and women at our border posts, especially the Customs and the Immigration Services, must now know that they are our first line of defence.
“What happens going forward depends on how professionally they act.
“It is prevention rather than just calling health workers to come and quarantine people that are really the strongest defence now against the migration of the virus.”
Fashola said the spread of the disease would be more easily contained if it is localized than to allow free entry of people at the nation’s numerous borders adding: “This is no longer a local problem.
“It is an international problem because it is being transmitted across the borders.
“From what I gather, unless the spread of the disease is localized, it becomes increasingly more difficult to stop its epidemic.
“We must make that choice now and consider it very seriously.
“It is a national security issue and I think we should give it the required attention.”
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