Ebola: Reps to probe emergency funds, state preparedness — Speaker Tajudeen

…says there are currently no active cases of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Tuesday expressed the House’s resolve to scrutinise inter-agency coordination, timely release and transparent utilisation of emergency health funds, as well as the capacity of state governments to respond effectively to public health emergencies.

Hon. Tajudeen, who stated this while declaring open a one-day public hearing on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria in Abuja, stressed the need for a coordinated national response involving all tiers of government and relevant institutions.

The Speaker, who was represented by Hon. Billy Osawaru, said the recent outbreak of Ebola in parts of Africa and the confirmation of an imported case in Nigeria underscored the importance of strengthening the country’s public health security architecture.

He noted that public health security was inseparable from national security, warning that an outbreak originating outside Nigeria could quickly become a matter of urgent national concern in an increasingly interconnected world.

According to him, Nigeria’s response to the recent development, through the activation of emergency mechanisms, strengthened surveillance and contact tracing, the establishment of a Presidential Task Force and the approval of emergency funding, was commendable but should not encourage complacency.

“The fact that the confirmed imported case has been evacuated and no onward transmission has been established should strengthen our resolve to prevent a recurrence, rather than diminish our sense of urgency,” he said.

Hon. Tajudeen recalled that Nigeria’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak demonstrated that early detection, decisive intervention and effective coordination could determine whether a disease outbreak was contained or escalated into a national health emergency.

He explained that the public hearing was part of the legislature’s constitutional responsibility to assess the country’s preparedness, scrutinise the effectiveness of relevant institutions and ensure that the legal, financial and operational frameworks required to protect Nigerians were adequate.

The Speaker said the exercise would particularly examine whether disease surveillance systems could detect threats early enough, whether laboratories and isolation facilities were adequately equipped, whether healthcare workers had the necessary training and protective equipment, and whether airports and border communities were sufficiently covered by screening and monitoring arrangements.

He further emphasised the need to establish whether emergency health funds were released promptly and utilised transparently, while identifying possible gaps in the capacity of state governments to contain public health emergencies.

“Disease containment cannot be the responsibility of the Federal Government alone. It requires a coordinated national response in which every tier of government understands its obligations and possesses the capacity to fulfil them,” Speaker Tajudeen stated.

He also called for accurate and consistent public communication to prevent misinformation and panic, assuring Nigerians that the hearing was not intended to generate unnecessary alarm, particularly as there were no active Ebola cases in the country.

While expressing the House’s resolve to give serious consideration to the submissions and recommendations arising from the public hearing, he assured that the House would provide legislative intervention where necessary and pursue it. “Where administrative deficiencies are identified, we will engage the appropriate authorities to ensure corrective action. And where funding or institutional capacity is inadequate, we will discharge our constitutional responsibilities in addressing those gaps. Ultimately, the effectiveness of our response to public health threats should not be measured merely by our ability to contain an outbreak, but also by our capacity to prevent one from escalating in the first place.”

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Joint Committees on Infectious Diseases, Healthcare Services, Aviation and Interior, Hon. Amobi Ogah, said the news of the Ebola outbreak in October had generated widespread anxiety among Nigerians, prompting several calls and enquiries from his constituents and fellow lawmakers seeking clarification on the country’s preparedness.

Hon. Ogah recalled the devastating experience of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which took a physical, psychological and economic toll on the country, with the deaths of several prominent Nigerians.

He said the concerns generated by the recent development compelled the House to initiate high-level consultations, culminating in the resolution to organise the public hearing to establish the preparedness of critical government agencies and determine the measures being implemented to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Abia lawmaker particularly expressed concern about the vulnerability of international airports as potential entry points for infectious diseases, insisting that relevant agencies must explain the screening arrangements and other preventive measures in place for passengers travelling into and out of Nigeria.

Hon. Ogah commended President Bola Tinubu for the prompt establishment of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola and the release of ₦10 billion to support containment efforts, while also applauding the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) for coordinating the national response.

He expressed optimism that reports indicating that two additional suspected cases identified in the North-East had tested negative would further strengthen the country’s prospects of containing the disease.

In his presentation, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, warned that custodial centres required special attention in the country’s Ebola preparedness strategy because of their population density, shared facilities and frequent human interactions.

Nwakuche explained that an infectious disease outbreak within correctional facilities could have serious consequences for inmates, personnel, visitors and surrounding communities, making early detection and effective infection prevention measures imperative.

He disclosed that the service was committed to strengthening disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, emergency response arrangements and collaboration with the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and state health authorities.

The NCoS Controller-General identified inadequate medical infrastructure, protective equipment, trained personnel, emergency isolation spaces and medical transportation as critical areas requiring government intervention, urging the Federal Government to integrate correctional facilities into national and subnational public health emergency preparedness programmes.

He also called for dedicated funding, regular training of correctional officers and healthcare personnel, improved referral arrangements, periodic assessment of custodial centres and the provision of essential medical supplies to prevent the introduction and transmission of Ebola within correctional facilities.

Nwakuche maintained that strengthening the preparedness of correctional institutions would not only improve the country’s response to Ebola but also enhance its capacity to prevent and manage other infectious disease threats.