Ebola: Babangida Aliyu Appeals to Niger State's Traditional Rulers

Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state has appealed to traditional institutions in the state to support governments’ efforts to check Ebola virus contamination by guarding against indiscriminate accommodation of strangers, particularly those whose identity is not well known to them.

The need for traditional rulers to be involved in checking contamination of Ebola virus, a fast spreading disease with no known cure, Governor Aliyu said has become necessary because Niger state has porous entry/exit points with some neighboring west African countries.

Ebola outbreak which is currently ravaging West Africa has claimed over 800 lives, including some health workers is deadly as it kills up to 90% of those infected.

Governor Aliyu spoke when he played host to the Emirs from the eight emirate councils that made up the state led by the Etsu Nupe and chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar on the traditional Sallah homage.

Aliyu said, "As traditional rulers who are closer to the people, enlighten your subjects on the deadly Ebola because it is a faster killer than HIV/AIDS. It has no cure yet and no vaccine has been discovered to have the capability of destroying the virus".

Niger state, Aliyu said boarders some West African nations and the only way we can check the spread of the disease is to encourage traditional rulers to educate their wards on how to check the spread by avoiding lifestyles that would expose the people to the highly contagious disease.

Babangida Aliyu told the Emirs to educate their subjects on the need to beware of visitors from outside the state, particularly the sickly as the manifestation of the symptoms included; high fever, general body weakness diarrhea, vomiting, internal and external bleeding respectively.

Other lifestyle capable of breeding the virus, Governor Aliyu said included; keeping of monkeys found to be one of the vectors as pets and as well, the indiscriminate eating of bush meats without properly boiling or processing such meals.

Governor Aliyu therefore urged all Nigerlites to healthy living to avoid contamination of Ebola and to treat all sick persons with caution and to report to the nearest health officials and security apparatus of suspects whose identities are doubtful.