Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola asked the Federal Government to shut down the borders with affected West African countries to prevent outbreak of Ebola virus in the country.
According to Fashola, Ebola as easily transmittable disease was no longer a local problem, but an international one that required urgent measures in place to prevent its spread.
He said: “It is difficult to stop this epidemic and we must now choose the treaty obligations that we hold under the ECOWAS treaty and perhaps short term benefits in terms of economic cost to human life. We must make that choice and consider it very seriously. It is a national security issue and I think that we should give it that attention.
“I think that men and women who man our border posts – sea, air and land – especially the customs, now know that they are our first line of defence.”
According to the governor, prevention of the virus, rather than calling the health professionals to quarantine people, is the strongest defence against the virus.
Fashola said the cremation of the remains of the Ebola victim in Lagos was the best option as dead bodies emitted fluid.
The governor added that all residents who had contacts with the dead Liberian had been tested and that the result proved negative.
However, there is still risk because reportedly a dead body was brought into the country from Liberia. “This means that there is still need for vigilance at our border post. The officials at these places should act professionally and report every incident they suspect,” Fashola added.
