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Tag: Ebola

  • Can we conquer the specter of educational kwashiorkor as we did that of the Ebola pandemic?

    Can we conquer the specter of educational kwashiorkor as we did that of the Ebola pandemic?

    Specter:

    1. An object of terror or dread: the specter of famine or disease.
    2. A mental image of something extremely menacing: the specter of an epidemic disease
    Dictionary.com (online)

    This past week, the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) that Nigeria is free of the specter of an Ebola pandemic finally hit the airwaves of the Western media in a big way. On radio, on television, in newspapers and in the virtual but ubiquitous universe of the Internet, the news finally broke and pervaded reports in every broadcast medium that Nigeria was no longer one of the West African countries to be avoided. This development gave me a relief of such immensity that I knew that something was involved that was much greater than my simple but profound joy in the realization that people would not be dying in their thousands or hundreds of thousands from an Ebola pandemic in our country. That “something” was the thought that we actually might have in us the capacity, the will to fight and conquer all the social evils that plague us now and seem impregnable, things like endemic, miasmic corruption; Boko Haram; a whole generation of young people with future prospects worse than the frightening present; and the metaphoric kwashiorkor that has made the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of education in our country one of the worst in the world.

    In thinking about what to write, what to include in this piece, I consciously made the decision that first of all, I must give in to and express my great joy and relief that we beat the specter of the Ebola pandemic. The removal of Nigeria and Senegal from the zone of “West Africa of Ebola” is the single best piece of news from our continent in a long time. This is all the more exceptional because for the most part, we did it on our own. We did get some assistance from foreign medical personnel and the active interest of the WHO, but no one can deny the fact that it was the work and dedication of heroic and selfless Nigerians that made this achievement possible. Thus, my mind goes back again to that woman of extraordinary bravery, courage and selflessness, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh. From there, my mind wanders to the inspirational story of Dr. Adah Igonoh’s survival from the near-death clutches of an Ebola attack. And then to the Lagos State Government, with some help from the Federal Ministry of Health. As I write these words, I am filled with a pride, a faith in my country and its human capacities the like of which I have not felt in a long while. Indeed, in writing these words, I have a strong intimation that many of those reading this piece also feel, as I do, that beating the threat of the Ebola pandemic is the best and most positively portentous news that we have had in Nigeria in perhaps the last half of a decade.

    Only now that we seem to have beaten the threat of an Ebola pandemic does it come with a startling revelation that in actuality, it was the specter, not the reality of a pandemic that inspired us to dig deep into our collective selves and find the capacities we have in us to beat the threat. For unlike Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea that are countries facing the grim reality of the Ebola pandemic, we had only seven deaths. And after the initial spread of the disease beyond the index carrier, Patrick Sawyer, the figure of real and suspected secondary cases of infection never exceeded a couple of hundreds. That is why, at least in hindsight, one realizes now that it was the specter of being overwhelmed by the reality of the pandemic raging in those three countries that spurred us.

    Is this a general law, a general feature of human affairs, that people are often far more frightened and prompted to action by the threat and not the reality of great, surpassing calamity? On this account, calamity itself – and not its specter – leaves little or no room for redeeming, curative action. This, it seems, is because with the threat, the specter of calamity, you are not yet overwhelmed by its actuality; you still have breathing room to act decisively. I think this is a false and unhelpful assumption but because we have just experienced the specter and not the reality of an Ebola pandemic, I wish to probe a little further into the matter through the example of what I am calling in this essay the kwashiorkor of a colossal fall in educational standards in our country.

    I chose the metaphor, the image of kwashiorkor deliberately. This is a disease that comes from extreme malnutrition whose victims are, overwhelmingly, children. More spectral is the visual image of kwashiorkor stricken children: the belly is grotesquely bloated, making the head look shrunken or naturally undersize. This then makes it seem as if there is nothing in the head, the seat of knowledge, while the belly, the seat of nourishment for the whole body, is full, sated. But of course in kwashiorkor the belly is also empty as, indeed, is the whole human frame and mass. Thus, in kwashiorkor you have the perfect image for an undernourishment that is so severe that in both the bloated and shrunken parts of the body, there is nothing of value left to sustain the body and, indeed, life itself.

    I first thought of this image as an appropriate metaphor for the collapse in education at all levels in our country when, in the year 2009, I read that the failure rate of those who sat for the NECO exams for the year was 98.2% which meant that only 1.8% passed. Since then, other facts, figures and actualities of educational doldrums in our country have added to the appropriateness of the kwashiorkor metaphor. One statistic is the fact that the passing rate for English and Mathematics in NECO exams in the last five years has never risen above 35%. Yet another fact is perpetual complaint of employers of labour in Nigeria that the graduates being produced in our tertiary institutions are so mediocre that they are virtually “unemployable”. Add to that the fact that not only very rich Nigerians but also those who are only moderately well off are abandoning Nigerian universities and sending their children to foreign universities where “foreign” here includes African countries like Ghana and South Africa. Finally, there is this fact: even though everyone connected with education in Nigeria agrees that the standards of performance, of teaching by our primary and secondary teachers are very low, the teachers themselves are very resistant to re-training and re-professionalization.

    The reasons for this educational kwashiorkor are many, but most significant of all is the fact that public funds, or national wealth that could have been used to adequately fund education at all levels in our country are being massively looted and diverted to the private local and foreign bank accounts of a few thousands of members of the political class and their cronies in the private sector. I think this is why our educational kwashiorkor has gone far beyond a specter to an overwhelming and crippling actuality. The most telling indication of this is the fact that, as far as I am aware, no Federal Minster of Education and no Commissioner of Education in any of the states of the federation has ever raised an alarm at the terrible failure rate of our secondary school leavers. I mean, when the specter has become a pervasive reality, why raise an alarm, why worry, especially if you are amongst and within the ranks of those causing the severe malnourishment to education in our country? In most countries of the world, a failure rate of 98.2% would have caused the powers that be to bring all stakeholders together to devise a strategy to avert the possibility of the specter becoming an overwhelming and crippling reality.

    Specters constitute a very complex, very interesting phenomenon in human individual and mass psychology. Because I have not been in the country since July when I came twice, I have been informed by reliable friends that since the Ebola threat or specter, standards of public hygiene have improved considerably in many parts of the country, especially in public spaces and venues. If that is the case, we can assert that specters sometimes have beneficial uses and in the case of the Ebola scare, the specter was spectacular in the degree of civic mindedness that it inspired in thousands of Nigerians. All the same, we must realize that it is a desperate and failing state that needs a specter in order to do what is right, what will be of lasting value to Nigerians of living generations and generations yet to be born. And there is always the fact that specters are never completely laid to rest. We have beaten back the first specter of an Ebola pandemic that came with Patrick Sawyer, but who is to say that another “Sawyer” will never come into the country and start the scare, the specter all over again? Indeed, specters arise not only from what is yet to come but also from what has already come and is raging in the land. So that even as terrible as the undernourishment of education is in our country now, there is the specter of the fact that it could get far worse than what we are experiencing now. Thus, it is never too late to arrest a worsening situation; we are not trapped irrevocably between the specter and its reality. This coming week, there is going to be a National Education Summit (NES) to be hosted by ASUU and the NLC. This piece is written with fervent hopes that the Summit will end in a resounding success.

     

     

    Biodun Jeyifo

    bjeyifo@fas.harvard.edu

  • To stop Ebola, go to the source

    THE sheer scale of human suffering in West Africa in relation to the Ebola Outbreak is spelled out in black and white with the current numbers from the World Health Organization (WHO). As at 8 October, 4,032 fatalities have been recorded, with Liberia recording the highest thus far with 2,316; 930, in Sierra Leone, 778, in Guinea and 8 in Nigeria this year. Its been spoken of over and over again; the subregion’s Ebola outbreak is the world’s deadliest to date and the WHO has declared an international health emergency. Apparently, many rural communities in Africa view Ebola with much the same fear and misunderstanding as westerners did when the AIDS epidemic began, and have sometimes turned on overstretched health officials struggling to contain the epidemic.

    Those on the frontlines have been among the hardest hit by the disease. Ebola is a viral illness of which the initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat. Subsequent stages are vomiting, diarrhea and – in some cases – both internal and external bleeding. The disease infects humans through close contact with infected animals, including chimpanzees, fruit bats and forest antelope. It spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. Even funerals of Ebola victims can be a risk, if mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased. The incubation period can last from two days to three weeks and it should be known that the current outbreak is the deadliest since Ebola was discovered in 1976. On August 8, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

    As the Ebola outbreak is currently underway in several West Africa countries, exponentially rising in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, surely and widely, the epidemic continues to grow and spread into new areas, threatening more lives and potentially the economies of affected countries. The statistics from the WHO are particularly grim especially when looking at the rate of new cases over the past month. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone alone, nearly 2,800 new infections have been recorded. That’s about a third of all Ebola cases- an indication the virus is spreading at a faster rate than previously. In Liberia alone, the Ebola epidemic is insidiously decimating the population of the country and social and economic life there is literarily on a “standstill”.

    The situation there is so severe and gloomy that the President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, had to declare a state of emergency in August, as the country continues to grapple with the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The state of emergency included ordering the closure of schools and markets and the quarantining of affected communities, in an attempt to halt the Ebola epidemic. The spread has also been overwhelming health workers and health facilities, with reports that doctors were forced to turn patients away at one of Liberia’s main Ebola isolation wards in a sign many were belatedly coming forward.

    The Ebola epidemic has also effectively crippled the country’s economy due to the “lockdown” as most economic activities are virtually non-existent. The same gloominess and ominousness applies to other affected countries across the West African sub-region. This has consequently elicited somewhat “stringent and draconian precautionary measures” by other countries in attempts at ensuring the virus doesn’t find its way into their borders. Such measures includes, alienating Africans, the imposition of travel bans on African nationals and refusing Africans entry into such countries. There have been reports that some countries have been unduly unfair and excessive to Africans at entry points. However, it should be known that effectively tackling the Ebola scourge should be embarked on from the source. To stop the spread of Ebola we need to go to its source, control it and stop its spread from the source. The latest figures from the WHO shows that this is far from happening. The source here is the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    The tragedy of Ebola is that we know how to tackle the disease, and with the right resources, information and on-the-ground support, this disease can be “nipped at its bud”. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is already a global threat to public health and it’s vital that the international community remains at the forefront of responding to the epidemic. Even so, without mass mobilization of the world to support the affected countries in West Africa, it will be impossible to get this disease quickly under control, and the world will have to live with the threat of Ebola for a lot longer than necessary.

    The general international response has up to this moment been slower than the rate of transmission of the disease. This slower-than-the-virus response has got to change. The acceleration of the translation of commitment to physical facts on the ground is what is urgently needed now. Commitments on paper and commitments during meetings are good, but commitments as physical facts on the ground are best. The international community needs to step up to the plate and deliver additional resources, not just money, but trained medical and clinical personnel to lead efforts on the ground.

    To prevent what is currently a crisis from becoming a catastrophe, effectively tackling the Ebola epidemic in West Africa will involve building of “Ebola hospitals” in affected countries, consisting of treatment centres and an Ebola Training Academy. Also, replicating the Nigerian experience in curbing the spread of Ebola by effectively utilizing more aggressive and consistent public awareness campaigns, which yielded positive results and tracking all possibly infected individuals, who came in contact with the primary carrier of the disease; quarantining, observing and treating them. Thus, Nigeria was able to effectively halt the spread of the virus, which claimed 8 lives as reports suggest, the lowest when compared to the other affected West African countries. Notably though, kudos needs to be given to the Lagos state government. The success story of Ebola in Nigeria should be duly attributed to the fact that its first point of entry into Nigeria was at a state where the structure of governance was professional and organized. The Lagos government, in collaboration with the Federal government effectively took control when it was announced that a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, coming into the country tested positive to the virus.

    There’s every possibility that, had the late Sawyer come into Nigeria via another state, perhaps we would be singing a bitter tune. An example is the continuous and lingering Polio cases (already eradicated in most countries) that still exist in some parts of the country. Furthermore, the provision of technical assistance by international health organizations, through the deployment of multidisciplinary team of experts involved in a range of outbreak response activities such as surveillance, communication and social mobilization, infection control, logistics, data management, is needed in combating this epidemic.

    The direst need in West Africa and the affected countries is for doctors and nurses. A large number of health care workers have being infected in this outbreak and majority of them have died as a result. The other need is for hospital beds, as the most affected countries are short of beds (according to the WHO Liberia needs 2300, Sierra Leone nearly 900 and Guinea 50). Without the hospital beds, infected patients are turned away- back into their communities, thus infecting others.

    Hazmat suits should be made available for health care workers and West African countries should temporarily close their borders to affected countries, until such a time the epidemic can be controlled. In addition, albeit there have only been a handful of Ebola cases spreading beyond West Africa, governments around the world should ramp-up precautionary measures. Temperature screenings at airports should be introduced at all points of entry and exit in all countries.

    Ultimately, the world needs to know that to get ahead of this disease, we have to collectively rise to the challenge. We can collectively contain it and beat it. We know how to do this; it may sound a little complicated but it is doable. It just requires a large focus of resource and effort to deliver it. All hands must be on deck and the focus must be one in order to ensure the eradication of Ebola right from its very source.

  • NATOP commends govt on Ebola

    FOLLOWING the successful curtailment of the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria, the Association of Nigeria Tour Operators (NATOP) has commended the Federal Government and Lagos State government alongside other governors for the prompt and effective manner they worked together to prevent the spread of the deadly disease in the country even as its warmed that Americans and other European currently battling to hand the disease to treat Nigerians with dignity and respect for human rights.

    In a press release signed by the president of the umbrella body for travel operators in the country, Mr. Nkwereuwem Onung, the body commended the prompt attention giving to tackling the matter and information machinery deployed by the government to enlighten and educate Nigeria on the matter.

    The body said for the first time in a long while Nigerians witnessed a demonstration of something and positive about the Nigerian government, describing the manner the disease was handled as ”efficiency in governance,” and the fact that once determined the Nigerian government can actually go the full hug to deliver good governance to the people.

    According to Onung, the partnership by the Lagos State government and the federal government is a pointer to the fact that if all Nigerians and government at all levels lay aside their differences and politics that efficiency and the promotion of public good and interest can be achieved in a question of time.

    He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to joins hands in building a virile and united nation where brotherliness and common good of the people thrive, adding that this is the only way that the country can overcome it many challenges and build a sound economic base for the people. Onung who is also the chairman of Remlord Tours and Transports Services, stressed that even though it members suffered great losses from it following the cancellations of business deals earlier nick but that it was happy that the government effectively curtailed the spread and that today Nigeria is free and it members and others can now hope to get their businesses back on track again.

    With American and other Western and Europe countries that battling to stave off the spread of the disease in their soil, the tour operating body called for caution in the manner that they treat Nigerians travelling in and out of their countries.

    He said that Nigerians deserved to be accord their full human rights and not seen as the carriers of EVD as the epidemic is a global once and not confined to West Africa countries alone as many people believe. The body then called for a global approach to be adopted by the western world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) in the handling of the matter otherwise it would assume an alarming proportion.

  • Ebola-free status: ‘It’s great that we’re able to achieve what even the US has started copying’

    Ebola-free status: ‘It’s great that we’re able to achieve what even the US has started copying’

    There is more to Capt. Shehu Usman Iyal than his official designation as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Aviation. Iyal is a major player in a sector that is critical to the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. In this interview with a select group of reporters in Abuja, he stresses that every aspect of the aviation sector in Nigeria is already within global standard range. Deputy Editor, YOMI ODUNUGA and Correspondents, AUSTINE EHIKIOYA and FAITH YAHAYA, were there. Excerpts:

    For some reasons, the Aviation sector has been in the news in recent times mostly for the wrong reasons. What really is there to celebrate in such a sector?

    First, let me say that every aspect of human endeavours is bound to face some challenges at one point or the other. In that wise, the Nigerian Aviation sector is not an exception. Having said that, let me, as a form of general introduction, highlight the positive impact and achievements made under the tenure of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the last six years.  We all know that aviation is a very special vehicle for attracting and sustaining investments in every part of the world. If we look at the United Arab Emirates and some other countries, these countries have fully maximised the derivable benefits from that sector to get to where they are today. In Nigeria today, we should be proud of what we have and the improvements made in that sector. For example, we have just sustained and retained our Category One status which we got from the Federal Aviation Administration of United States of America. We got it in 2010 and, just last month, we were able to retain that status. It would interest you to know that India, which is one of the top 10 economies in the world, just lost its own Category One status but Nigeria is able to retain its own.

    As Nigerians, we should also make conscious effort to celebrate our own citizens who get international recognition through a dint of hard work. One of such is Dr. Olumuyiwa Aliu who is the first African to be elected as President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council. The position really puts us at the top position in the world. Nigeria, today, boasts of the total radar coverage of the entire country called TRACON. Although, the project started some years ago but the completion of the TRACON by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was realised under the leadership of Jonathan.

    What this means is that, anywhere within the Nigerian airspace, we are able to track any aeroplane that is flying in or out of the airspace of Nigeria. On the Category One attainment, when the Americans give you, they don’t go to sleep, they keep on coming to audit you, examine and monitor you. We were able to attain it during Jonathan’s administration and retain it.

    There is also an improvement of oversight capability because NCAA as it is called is the regulator, it is the policeman of the aviation industry, it tells you what to do, it monitors , corrects. So, it is the duty of NCAA to make sure that we are compliant and we do as we are expected to do by ICAO standard practice. So, the NCAA was able to promulgate the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation 1 and 2 and it met the ICAO standard, we call it NCAR 1 and 2 and it has been passed into law.

    Beyond these technical details, what exactly has the government done in other aspects to make flying a comfortable experience for Nigerians and others? For example, how conducive are our airports and can we say the passengers get satisfaction for their money?

    As far as this administration is concerned, safety is key and safety is everything. That is why no single aspect of the aviation sector should be ignored. Take, for example, the role the Aviation sector played in the fight against Ebola. Today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Nigeria Ebola-free and one shouldn’t underestimate the role played by the sector. Officials of the relevant agencies still play the role of monitoring movements of passengers till now. I was in Lagos some days ago and I was checked in about four or five places before I boarded my flight, I think we should commend ourselves that we were able to achieve something that even the United States of America has started copying. The same thing is done in London Heathrow. This administration has also been able to effect changes for those who are in the domestic operation. The issue of waivers for airline operators of custom duties on aeroplanes and aeroplanes spare parts. I think that has gone a long way in making the operators a bit more comfortable.

    As part of the administration’s desire to change the aesthetics of the airports and bring them up to the international standards, it embarked on a comprehensive remodelling of our airports and the conception of new airports. We can see the visible impact of this as we travel across the country from Lagos to Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano and other states. In the last six years, there has been an appreciable increase in the number of airlines flying into the country. There is also an increment in the number of domestic operators. We have Azman, Discovery, First Nation, Medview and Peace Airlines, which just got their AoC; I think that is something we should be proud of as Nigerians and it has made life much easier for us. Under this same administration, we have new airports in Akwa Ibom, Dutse, Kebbi, Bauchi, Asaba, Gombe and a few other states.

    But there are airports that are yet to benefit from this remodelling initiative of the administration. Why is there any ulterior motive for this?

    No, no one should read any ulterior or political meaning to that initiative aimed at repositioning all the airports in the country. Let me also say that the remodelling of airports is a continuous process. As I talk to you now, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is remodelling the airports in Abuja, Lagos, Benin, Yola, Owerri, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt. Again, in this period of insecurity in the world, the government of President Jonathan has also given a lot of attention to the safety of travellers by installing modern equipment for the screening of passengers. The government, through the relevant agencies, installed body scanners at the airports in addition to passengers and staff profiling. There is also the construction of new terminals in states like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu. FAAN has also taken over newly constructed airports that were previously owned by the states. For example, Gombe is an international airport and it is able to do Hajj flight.

    Presently, we are able to airlift Nigerian pilgrims from Dutse in Jigawa, from Bauchi state, from Kebbi state and Enugu which has been upgraded to an international airport. With this development, the stress and hustle we used to face in taking and bringing pilgrims in and out of the holy land is over because we now have more carriers and also carriers with capacity and our carriers are being sought for all over the world to do additional flights in West Africa. MaxAir, Kabo, Medview and they all have what we call white bodied aircraft; white bodied aircraft means any airplane that can carry more than 300 passengers and we have them and even in excess capacity. All the opportunities that we are enjoying now were made possible within the last six years of Jonathan’s administration. Already, we have brought quite a number of our pilgrims contrary to what we used to do before.

    There is also the infrastructural rehabilitation of the airports. We have the perimeter fencing in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano and the resurfacing of the runway. There was a little bit of discomfort some few months ago when we were resurfacing Abuja airport but it is better to be safe to land than to have a runway that has potholes that can affect the aeroplanes. FAAN, I must note, has gone beyond just infrastructure maintenance or rehabilitation. Under this administration, it has procured a lot of fire fighting equipment while also embarking on the training and retraining of personnel that can handle the equipment. There is also an establishment in FAAN called the Safety Audit Department, which looks into all these things to make sure that they are compliant with the International Civil Aviation (ICAO) standard.

    Has the government taken any concrete step to ensure discipline in that sector, especially by the staff of all the agencies?

    Aside the statutory responsibilities of the Safety Audit Department, there is what I can call a ministerial intervention. The latest of such is the directive by the Hon. Minister, Osita Chidoka, a dynamic young man with a lot of vision, that, henceforth, every airport manager will be held responsible for the happenings, activities, improvement and anything that happens within his airport. I think this will certainly improve performance and accountability and at the end of the day, Nigerians and indeed the travelling public will be the beneficiaries of this.

    Some critics have said that the Aviation Intervention Fund disbursed by this administration did not yield the expected results, as most airlines that collected the money did not utilise it well. What can you say about this?

    I do not believe that is true. Let us look at the bigger picture instead of dwelling on one or two beneficiaries that misapplied the funds. Of course, the relevant agencies are looking into the application of the fund by the concerned airlines. What I know is that, that fund yielded results as most of those that applied for it did make good use of it. Most of the airlines are still flying today due to that fund which came at the right time. In all, a total of N87billion was disbursed under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to the various airlines. The fund was disbursed at a generous rate of between two per cent to seven per cent as against the 18 per cent to 20 per cent that was the going market rate at that time. There was also a moratorium of six months with extended repayment term of between 10 and 15 years. You should also note that it was unprecedented in the history of the sector that some of the airlines were granted a working capital of between N500million and N1billion, which represents 20 per cent of their previous year’s turnover. We should be able to commend the President for this decision as it helped in stabilising the sector.

    Do you think the nation is lagging behind in harnessing of cargo potentials?

    Not really. The administration is rising up to that challenge. We are now constructing agriculture and cargo terminals whereby the products of the farmers can be easily moved to where they are going to be sold.  These airports are being constructed in Lagos, Makurdi and Jos and some of them have reached very advanced stages of completion, which is a very good thing for the agricultural sector. It will also boost the creation of jobs for Nigerian farmers and other people associated with it.

    Could you tell us what the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency brings to the table in the transformation going on in the sector?

    Currently, NAMA has the automated Aeronautical Information System (AIS) and it has also complied with WGS84; it is a satellite-based navigation. With this, there will be efficiency, safety and it reduces cost for the operators. We also have brand new Control Towers, which were also called the Safe Tower Project and here, we have the automatic data recording to capture communications between the tower and the aeroplane and also, if there is low level wind shear, it can be detected and the control tower can advise the pilot to avert eventualities. I am saying all these because if we don’t blow our trumpet, somebody will not only blow his own, but he will also take away our trumpet just to blow his own. The air traffic management of NAMA is as good as anywhere in the world because it is of international standard. Some six months ago or so, I was in Cairo, Egypt and they have what they call training school where people from all over the world are undergoing training and the Egypt Air people were kind enough to take me to the school to see some Nigerians. There were about 15 to 20 Nigerians and the three best students they had in that class were from Nigeria and that is why I said there is an aggressive manpower development.

    Again, we are part of the world and we are able to introduce what is called Standard Instrument Departure and Standard Terminal Arrival that goes to improve the safety and efficiency. We also have Nigeria Meteorological Services (NIMET) and they do the installation of the low level wind shear and land system. NIMET received certification as aeronautical meteorological service provider and got its International Standard Organisation ISO9001 by an ICAO accredited auditor. The construction of the National Weather Forecast Centre and research centre in Abuja is going on. Part of it is functional and we have highly improved weather forecast and prediction by the agency. In March this year, they did weather prediction and to a reasonable extent, their predictions and forecast were helpful to us and their service is not only for the aviation industry but also to the farmers, marine industry but their main attachment is aeronautical. They are also doing aggressive training for Nigerians.

    The Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), which most of us are products of; today unlike what it used to be some years ago when it was moribund and almost dead, has been totally rehabilitated and overhauled. Today, the school has two helicopters and it is commencing training in helicopter pilot; with this, we will be able to create more jobs, we will be able to do more things at home and we will save money that we would have used to send our people outside to do the training. They have introduced the HND programme. When you pass out, you will have a Higher National Diploma (HND) and that will go a long way in case you decide not to even go into the field, if you want to go into the academics, it will help. They train pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers, cabin crew and dispatchers, aviation managers, airline transport license; I think we are starting that of aeronautical information officers. Additionally, under the presidential youth development programme, the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Honourable Kingsley Kuku, has trained 66 pilots and 61 engineers. Some of the pilots have undergone Advanced Commercial Pilot Training on instrumental flying and already employed, while others are at various stages of advanced training. Most of the engineers are rated on engine and frames and have equally been gainfully employed.

    The Nigerian Air Force, in collaboration with private investors, has also under the present regime initiated and set up a pilot training school in Enugu for both civil and military helicopter pilots. There is also another flying school in Ilorin, Kwara State, that is equally graduating pilots and all these were achieved within the past six years of this regime. So, you can see that President Jonathan has provided all the support and enablement to transform the sector for good. Also, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has, for the first time under the watch of President Jonathan, released its findings to the public so that we all will know what happens and why it happened. AIB has a simulator in Abuja that is able to process, download and analyse flight data recorders; so, that saves time and money. They are also able to proactively simulate what would have been an accident or a very serious incident and we all know how aviation accidents can be. In summary, I make bold to say that, in the last six years, the aviation industry under the guide of President Jonathan has moved very positively. We have attained a status that is world standard and that we need to be proud of. We are in a position today to beat our chest as Nigerians to say yes; we are getting there.

    What is keeping the Federal Government from announcing the national carrier for the country or have they decided not to embark on having it again?

    On the national carrier, the minister spoke about it and I think he is taking it very seriously. He is in the best position to shed light on the national carrier.

    Can you update us on the second runway in our airport?

    The President has approved and directed the second runway project to be immediately revisited. It is being revisited and I am proud to inform you that I am part of the committee on the second runway and it is going to be treated as a priority. There will be a second runway in Abuja for safety, for security and efficiency. When a president gives an order, it shows that it is very soon and we are working on it. I can assure you of the commitment of the President on that project.

  • Mali records first Ebola case

    Mali records first Ebola case

    Mali confirmed its first case of Ebola on Thursday, becoming the sixth West African country to be touched by the worst outbreak on record of the haemorrhagic fever, which has killed nearly 4,900 people.

    Mali’s Health Minister Ousmane Kone told state television that the patient in the western town of Kayes was a two-year-old girl who had recently arrived from neighbouring Guinea, where the outbreak began.

    “The condition of the girl, according to our services, is improving thanks to her rapid treatment,” the minister told state television.

    A health ministry official, who asked not to be identified, said the girl’s mother died in Guinea a few weeks ago and the baby was brought by relatives to the Malian capital Bamako, where she stayed for 10 days in the Bagadadji neighbourhood before heading to Kayes.

    A ministry statement said the girl, who came from the Guinean town of Kissidougou, was admitted at the Fousseyni Daou hospital in Kayes on Wednesday night, where she was promptly tested for Ebola.

    People who came into contact with the patient in Kayes have been identified and placed under watch, the minister said, but he appealed to any person who believed they may have had contact with the girl to step forward.

    The vast majority of the deaths and nearly 10,000 cases of the disease have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Small outbreaks also spread to Senegal and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, but they have since been declared Ebola-free by the WHO, Reuters says.

    The official numbers are known to be under-reported and the true death toll may be three times as much, the WHO said this week.

     

  • FG develops national plan on Ebola

    The Federal Government on Thursday said it has developed a National Ebola Preparedness Plan (NEPP) for the country.

    The plan is aimed at checking possible fresh outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria.

    Nigeria was on Monday certified free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the end of the 42 days period since the last case of Ebola.

    The virus which was imported into the country by the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer in July, killed seven people in the country before it was checked.

    But the Coordinating Minister of Health, Alhaji Khaliru Alhassan, said until the EVD is contained in the region and the world, chances of the virus being imported into the country was high.

    He therefore said the nation should rather remain proactive rather than relaxing that the outbreak was over.

    According to the minister, the government would set up a National Emergency Operations Centre at the nation’s capital, Abuja.

    Alhassan said about 506 volunteers were ready for deployment to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, adding that 250 would be deployed soon.

    He urged state governments to further enhance their surveillance systems and increase public awareness on the disease.

     

  • Ebola: Official WHO death toll near 5,000

    Ebola: Official WHO death toll near 5,000

    At least 4,877 people have died in the world’s worst recorded outbreak of Ebola, and at least 9,936 cases of the disease had been recorded as of October 19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, but the true toll may be three times as much.

    The WHO has said real numbers of cases are believed to be much higher than reported: by a factor of 1.5 in Guinea, 2 in Sierra Leone and 2.5 in Liberia, while the death rate is thought to be about 70 percent of all cases. That would suggest a toll of almost 15,000.

    Liberia has been worst hit, with 4,665 recorded cases and 2,705 deaths, followed by Sierra Leone with 3,706 cases and 1,259 deaths. Guinea, where the outbreak originated, has had 1,540 cases and 904 deaths, Reuters reports.

    On Friday the WHO put the toll about 300 lower with more than 745 fewer cases.

    In the past week, transmission of the disease was most intense in the capital cities of Monrovia and Freetown, while Guinea’s capital Conakry reported 18 confirmed cases, its second highest weekly total since the outbreak began.

    Although Ebola has been contained in Nigeria and Senegal, the disease is spreading towards Ivory Coast in both Liberia and Guinea, including in Guinea’s Kankan district on a major trade route with Mali. Kankan saw its first case in the past week.

    However, the WHO said the Liberian district of Lofa had seen a third consecutive week of decline in the number of cases, which reports from observers suggested was a result of disease control measures.

    Among the thousands of cases are 443 health care workers, 244 of whom have died. The WHO said it was undertaking extensive investigations to determine why so many had caught the disease.

  • Ebola: NLC, Falana criticise U.S.’s support to Africa

    Ebola: NLC, Falana criticise U.S.’s support to Africa

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) have criticised the United States, China and other prosperous nations for not doing enough to support countries being ravaged by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    NLC’s Vice-President Isa Aremu and Falana noted that unlike Cuba, which has deployed men and materials in support of countries troubled by the disease, the U.S. and  China were still hesitant in fully supporting the war against Ebola in poor West African countries.

    Aremu and Falana spoke in Abuja yesterday during a visit to the Cuban Embassy. They said their visit was  to commend Cuba  for assisting Africa in the fight against Ebola by sending medical professionals to the affected countries.

    Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria Hugo Nilanes, who received the visitors, said 83 Cuban medical professionals departed for Liberia and Guinea on October 21 to join 165 others, who left Cuba on October 1, for Sierra Leone to help in the effect to rid the West African nations of the Ebola disease.

     Falana said of all the nations of the world, particularly the prosperous  ones, “it is only Cuba that has shown leadership. While the United States of America send troops to kill people around the world, Cuba sends doctors round the world to save lives.”

    He said Nigeria could not afford to celebrate its status as an Ebola-free nation, as declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as Ebola-free, when other African nations were still battling with how to contain the scourge.

     “Without other Africa countries being free of Ebola, Nigeria cannot afford to celebrate that it is Ebola free,” Falana said.

    Falana, who said the relationship between Africa and Cuba dates back to the 1970s, urged the Nigerian government to collaborate with Cuba to ensure the eradication of curable diseases, such as malaria, which he said, Cuba had successfully eradicate.

    Aremu, who spoke for NLC, described Cuba as “the moral capital of the world” and “a true friend of Africa”.

    He added: “We are proud of the support of Cuba. We have not seen such practical demonstration of support from countries, such as China, which make a lot of profit from Africa. I don’t know of any Cuban construction company operating in Nigeria.

    “I think Cuba has shown that it is a true friend of Africa.”

    Falana and Aremu said they were in favour of the suggestion by a US-based newspaper – the New York Times – that the country restores diplomatic ties with Cuba.

    The New York Times had, in a recent editorial, described Cuba’s role in the fight against Ebola in Africa as “impressive”.

     Aremu said “It is hypocrisy for the US to continue to send aids to Africa and yet keeps isolating African friends.”

     Nilanes, who recalled that Nigeria and his country had enjoyed about 40 years of diplomatic relationship, said the friendship between both countries dated back to over 200 years during the era of slave trade.

    “At the moment, more than 4,000 Cuban healthcare collaborators are working in 32 African countries and as our Public Health Minister will explain, they are all joining in the preventive effort against Ebola.

    “Last October 1, in response to a request from the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Margaret Chan, and United Nation Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon, a specialised Cuban medical brigade (comprising165 professionals) travelled to Sierra Leone to take part in the struggle against the Ebola epidemic,” Nilanes said.

  • Ebola: un-Solomon-ic wisdom

    ON the claims and counter-claims on the Ebola success, President Goodluck Jonathan has provided Hardball a delicious piece of un-Solomon-ic wisdom!

    Remember that famous case the Biblical King Solomon adjudicated: the case of the two prostitutes disputing over two babies, one dead, the other alive?

    King Solomon, after listening to the adamant claim of the two, suggested that, since both claims were convincing, the palace guards should halve both live and dead baby, and the disputing women should take each of the two!

    The mother of the dead child jumped at the offer, hailing the King’s decision.  But the mother of the live child demurred, pleading with the king to spare the live baby, saying that perhaps when it grew up, the baby would somewhat trace its mother!  Solomon promptly handed the woman the baby, saying that her compassion had proved that she, indeed, was the mother of the child.

    Hardball would crave your indulgence, dear reader, to apply this feat of Solomon to President Jonathan’s take on the Ebola success claim and counter-claim.

    Speaking at the Aso Villa, Abuja, at the launch of the Tony Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund, the president declared: “No president (meaning himself) or governor (meaning the duo of Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola, the arrowhead of the battle against Ebola; and Rivers Governor Rotimi Ameachi, who rubbished his perceived Jonathan government’s sloppy response to the threat, both on the other side of the partisan aisle) should claim any credit.  The credit,” he insisted, “should go to the ordinary Nigerians for their cooperation and buy-in.”

    Inasmuch as Nigerians deserved every praise for “their cooperation and buy-in”, the question is who provided the plan and offered the leadership they were buying into?  Certainly, not President Jonathan!

    So, the president hardly deserves any praise in the matter, for he wasn’t recorded as part of the painful chore when the battle bitterly raged.  Besides, nothing “just happens”,  as the president seemed to suggest, in his all-too-familiar boyish faith.  Someone has to take the initiative. That person was Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    So, you can see where Solomon’s adjudication of the dead baby dispute fits in?  Like the woman that jumped at killing another baby, simply to “equalise” the tragedy, the president is advocating denying the Lagos governor his due, if the president cannot share the glory with him! Disingenuous, isn’t it?  But perhaps it didn’t strike His Excellency that way!

    Besides, the claims and  counter-claims would not have arisen, had the president’s men not started their bogus claims; filing the Ebola breakthrough as a presidential achievement and another “proof” of Jonathan’s electability in 2015.  The president was not reported to have cautioned them to put the records straight.  In any case, not until Governor Fashola spoke on the matter, in his October 1 putdown.

    But even as late as October 15 when departing Information Minister, Labaran Maku, was serenading the president and claiming he was responsible for the Ebola check, the president did not still cut him short, blissfully drinking in the undeserved praise.

    Mr. President, give honour to whom it is due. That, in itself, is a form of greatness.

  • Ebola and the plight of women

    As the world continue its battle to contain the deadly disease called Ebola, the largest and most devastating in parts of West Africa including Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Liberia, reports of limited transmission or isolated outbreaks have also been obtained from Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the United States of America. As at October 14, 9,216 confirmed, probable and suspected cases have been identified, with 4,555 deaths. On December 28, 2013, a two-year-old boy died of an haemorrhagic fever confirmed to be Ebola in Meliandou, Guéckédou Prefecture of Guinea. This began a cycle of epidemics in which his mother, sister, and grandmother all subsequently became ill with similar symptoms and eventually, died. Subsequent deaths were reported in Guinea until March 2014, when the virus made an incursion into Liberia and in April, in Sierra-Leone through a tribal healer. She had treated infected people before her death and the burial rites including the washing of her corpse for burial led to widespread dissemination of infections in women from neighbouring towns.

    Ebola, also known as the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever (EHF), is a disease that infects humans and other animals, which is caused by an Ebola virus. Signs and symptoms of this disease are usually characterised by fatigue, fever, headaches, joint pain, muscle aches, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. The less common symptoms include skin rash, sore throat, chest pain, hiccups, shortness of breath and painful swallowing. The average time between coming in contact with infection and the start of symptoms (incubation period) is eight to 10 days, but it can vary between two and 21 days. In approximately half of the cases, bleeding from the mucous membranes and body orifices (mouth, nose, anus and vagina) as well as vomiting of blood may be reported within five to seven days after the first symptoms. Death may occur as there may be dysfunction of the body systems within seven to 16 days. A number of infected persons may survive the attack. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with blood or body fluids (saliva, mucus, vomit, faeces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine, and semen) of an infected person or by contact with objects contaminated by the virus, particularly, needles and syringes. The virus is transmitted through the nose, mouth, eyes, open wounds, cuts and body abrasions. It is suspected that transmission may occur through other animals such as a fruit bat, ape, gorilla and chimpanzee.

    The first case of Ebola in Nigeria was through a Liberian-American development consultant, who flew from Liberia to Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos on July 20. He became severely ill upon arriving at the airport and died five days later at a private hospital in Lagos. Staff members at the hospital restrained the patient from infecting the community but 11 workers (out of which four died) were infected with Ebola some of which came in contact with their family members. In addition, a contact with the Liberian-American transmitted infection to Rivers State and infected other persons. A total of 898 persons were followed up as potential contacts and approximately 26,000 households were visited with health information in Lagos and Rivers states. To date, Nigeria has been declared free of Ebola and no more infection exists, going by the latest report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, the after effect of Ebola and the analyses of the outbreaks need to be put in perspective. Unconfirmed reports have it that more women were infected in the different African countries infected than men. Specifically, the Liberian government has announced that 75 per cent of the deaths due to Ebola in Liberia have been women, as of August 22. Similarly, between 55 and 60 per cent of the deaths due to Ebola in West Africa have been women.  The question remains: why are more women succumbing to the deadly virus?

    It will appear that the biggest driving force behind the gender difference in the death rate comes mainly from cultural aspects within the affected communities. In West Africa, symptoms of fever are often treated at home first for malaria and typhoid and only when such treatment fail do such patient gets to seek medical help at a health facility. In this circumstance, women are the primary care-givers who nurse, cater for, feed and manage the patient. Since Ebola spreads through blood and other body fluids, the risk of contracting infection is increased amongst these Ebola care-givers. An evaluation of the case histories of the current outbreaks confirms the role of women as primary care-givers. Earlier reports have indicated that the differences in exposure between males and females have been shown to be important factors in transmission of Ebola. Therefore, understanding the gender roles and responsibilities that affect exposure in the local settings become mandatory for the control of infections.

    In addition, the global perspective of the nursing profession has confirmed it as a female-dominated profession, where women account for about 95 per cent of the total global population of nurses. These professionals are primarily responsible for care-giving in the hospital and are the main line of contact with health-care facilities, oftentimes, dealing with infectious diseases. Previous reports have indicated that more women than men were infected with HIV/AIDS in past outbreaks of Ebola and Influenza (A) H1N1. In the present situation, the cases of Ebola and deaths in women come with huge tolls like widower-hood, motherless-ness, and the loss of primary source of family income in certain instances.

    On a good note, the responses of the Nigerian government and healthcare workers involved in the case management and contact tracing of the situation in Nigeria was heart-warming. The rapidity of implementation of actions, the observation of all primary and secondary contacts for signs of infection, the level of management and escalation of surveillance at all entry points to the country and the logistics involved were huge but well-coordinated. As at October 2, all contacts of the Ebola cases in Nigeria have exited follow-ups successfully. A total of 20 persons were infected and eight deaths occurred. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention through its director, Dr. Tom Frieden, had praised Nigeria’s response. As we celebrate our “freedom” from this “out of control” disease, it is indeed time for sober reflection. One step forward recommended by the WHO is the education of the general public of the risk factors for Ebola infection and of the protective measures individuals can take. These include avoiding direct contact with infected people and regular hand-washing, using soap and water. Bush meat, an important source of protein in the diet of some Africans, should be handled with appropriate protective clothing and thoroughly cooked before consumption. Other than increased surveillance at the country’s borders, the Nigerian government states that they have also made attempts to control the spread of disease through an improvement in tracking, provision of appropriate health education to avert myths and misinformation, and the teaching of appropriate hygiene measures. This is encouraging.

    Since the cardinal role of women have been emphasised in past epidemics, adequate preparation of women and the girl-child for the future needs to focus on the following.  Firstly, focused group education sessions that target women and the girl-child should be developed in parallel with potential treatment options. Secondly, health education sessions should focus on early recognition of malaria, and other febrile conditions and all cases of fever should be taken as potentially fatal until proven otherwise. As such, early hospitalization should be sought for all such conditions. Thirdly, current cultural practices elsewhere – like the drinking of water used to bath a corpse as a means of proving innocence- should be done away with as this predisposes individuals to risk of infection with a pathogen like Ebola virus. Such cultural practices must be reformed in line with the current realities. Lastly, all deaths must be certified by a pathologist and any form of direct contact with a corpse until proven to be safe should be avoided. Educate the woman and save a household!

     

    •  Dr. Adenubi is of Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa,