Nigeria’s Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has defended the postponement of resumption date of schools to October 13, saying it is a precautionary measure against the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.
After the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Professor Chukwu told a press conference that there was no need to move from panic to euphoria just yet at the news of the successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease, as the nation still had one Ebola case left to confront.
The Minister said more education was necessary in the containment, pointing out, however, that the Ebola virus was not Nigeria’s greatest killer.
Before the postponement of the resumption date, schools were initially expected to re-open for the 2014/2015 academic session in the second week of September, but the need to successfully stop the spread of the virus prompted the postponement.
Professor Chukwu said: “Nigeria would take no such risk”.
It is not yet Uhuru, according to the Health Minister.
In spite of the successful containment, which simply means there’s now an area of concentration, there’s still one more case to tackle.
The Minister assured Ngierians that the government would not ban mass gatherings, but urge Nigerians to apply huge caution at events.
Not until the ministry gives a clean bill of health to all contacts, postponement of resumption of schools and training of staff in the various organisations should be strictly adhered to.
