He said that the first decision by the government to shift resumption date for schools to October 13 and the subsequent decision to bring the resumption date down to September 22 were based on expert advice from his ministry.
Answering questions from newsmen at the Presidential Villa shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting today, Professor Chukwu wondered why no Nigerian queried the first decision to shift the school resumption date to October 13 but now many people are opposing the new date.
“Health ministry gave experts advice to the ministry of education on the basis of which school resumption date was put at October 13 from the prevailing circumstance then. It is the same ministry of Health that gave an expert advice on the basis of which the ministry of education also brought the resumtion date to down to September 22 also from the prevailing empirical circumstance.
“People should allow us to do our job. There is absolutely no reason why schools should not open on September 22.
“We should be rational in what we are doing and avoid rumour. Rumour is not welcome in this business because it causes panick.”
The minister said that as at now, there is no fresh case of Ebola in Nigeria, saying that the only cases now being attended are old ones 19 with 15 in Lagos and 4 in Port Harcourt.
He said that 10 cases have been treated and the patients have been discharged to go back home, adding that the total number of those who have survived the disease so far are 12: “the wife and sister of Port Harcourt doctor who died of the disease.
“Active centres in Lagos and Port Harcourt are now empty,” he said even as he gave the number of contacts that are still under surveillance as 16 in Lagos and 490 in Port Harcourt.
Professor Chukwu said that 338 people have completed 21days surveillance in Lagos and have been discharged to go home. This is even as he said that only seven people have died of Ebola since it came into Nigeria, adding that five of such deaths were from Lagos and two in Port Harcourt.
The minister dispelled the rumours flying around about the existence of Ebola Disease in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zaria, Enugu and other places.
“However, we are investigating the case of Ebola on female student of Obafemi Awolowo university in Ile Ife and result would be ready in the next few hours.”
Professor Chukwu said that the cheering news is that Nigeria has no community transmission of the Ebola unlike in other countries with the endemic.
The minister announced that the United States of America had recanted on its earlier promise of giving Nigeria 30 body scanners, but that some individual Nigerians, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, have taken up the challenge with promises to provide the 30 body scanners.
“This means that we don’t need to really depend on any foreign assitant for us to move forward. We can really stand on our own.”
[myad]
