The University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association has called on the Nigerian Bar Association to postpone it’s Annual General Meeting scheduled to begin in Owerri, the Imo State Capital from Thursday.
In a statement signed by the National President of the Association, Mr. Sampson Ngerebara, and the National Secretary, Comrade Chris Adokeme, and made available to our correspondent in Asaba on Monday, the association said that the large congregation of over 20,000 participants should not be encouraged in view of the risks associated with the Ebola virus.
The association expressed the view that the NBA, despite it’s good intentions, was not in a position to ensure that none of the 20,000 strong participants was free from the virus.
It described a possible scenario at the conference as “scary.” [eap_ad_1] “Imagine a situation in which just one person, out of the horde of participants from all over the country, has the virus. It’s true that the disease has not reached epidemic proportions yet in Nigeria. But we must do everything possible to ensure that it does not escalate, ” the statement added.
The UNIPORT Alumni Association also appealed to it’s members nationwide, especially those in the medical field to offer their services voluntarily to the various Ebola control units established by the Federal and State governments across the country.
While appreciating the prompt response of the various tiers of government, especially in the area of public enlightenment, the Uniport Alumni Association urged other Alumni Associations to take pro active steps in encouraging their members to join in the fight against the Ebola virus.
The Association urged the Federal government to ensure that the almost N2bn released to combat the disease impact on the end users.
It commended the volunteers for their sacrifices for humanity, adding that it is impressed with the measures so far taken by the World Health Organisation in combating the disease in the West African sub-region.
[eap_ad_4]
