… Fashola urges FG to shut borders with neighbouring countries

Lagos State gov­ernor, Mr. Baba­tunde Fashola has advised the Federal Government to immedi­ately shut its borders with neighbouring countries without delay to avert spread of the disease.

Fashola who spoke yes­terday amid concern over the controversy generated by corpse from Liberia said it must have been routed through Lagos to Anambra State.

The governor noted that, “This is no longer a local, but an international prob­lem. This is because it is easily transmittable across the borders and boundaries. The Federal Government team has been working with the state team. I think what the Federal Govern­ment needed to do at this time is to consider the im­perative of closing some of our borders. “It is difficult to stop this epidemic. We must now choose the treaty obligations that we hold un­der the Economic Commu­nity Of West African States (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. I think we should give it that attention. I think 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 him, there is no pretence about the issue of such importance, saying few West African countries that are at the epicenter of the virus poses danger to others.

Also briefing journalists on the update on the Ebola issue, Professor Abdul­salami Nasidi of the Na­tional Center For Disease Control flanked by Lagos State Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris and his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba allayed fears on possible outbreak from the corpse brought in from Li­beria .

THE SUN