Bola Ilori, the Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the Environment, has urged Nigerians to stop swimming in River Osun in the name of seeking cure for the Ebola Virus Disease.
Ilori made the call in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Osogbo.
The call became necessary because of the ongoing Osun Osogbo festival.
River Osun is acclaimed to have healing and fertility powers, which draws people from all walks of life to the annual festival.
Ilori said: “Consequent on the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the West African sub-region, the UN promptly directed member states to quarantine suspected or known patients of the disease in order to check its spread.
“Since it has been established that the infectious Ebola disease can be spread through body contact, through the air or exchange of body fluids, it becomes important to guard against an outbreak in Osun.
“The government of Osun has expressed the wish to restrict foreigners from attending this year’s Osun Osogbo festival; it is not out of hatred but to stop the spread of the virus.”
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Health, Rauf Isamotu, had earlier said that four hospitals located at Iragbiji, Osogbo, Ejigbo and Irojo area of Ilesa had been specially designated for the management of the disease.
Isamotu said the step was in conformity with Federal Government’s directive that each state of the federation should designate hospitals and centres for the handling of the Ebola disease in the country.
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