In a statement made available to journalists today, August 10, 2014, Cosmos Ndukwe, Chief of Staff of Governor Theodore Orji said that the government received the reports made in two national dailies with ”utter dismay” and described the stories as “barefaced lies, handiwork of mischief makers and concocted to create panic amongst Abians”.
The Abia State Government views with utter dismay the spread of malicious lies by two Aba-based correspondents of The NATION and The SUN newspapers over purported EBOLA Virus scare and death in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.These stories are the very definition of barefaced lies, handiwork of mischief makers and concocted to create panic amongst Abians.
It is unfortunate that at a time the nation is promoting the use of valid data, research and statistics to tackle challenges especially those that are health related, custodians of news are trading in lies and non verifiable stories.
Contrary to what NATION and SUN newspapers want the public to believe, as at time of this release no case of EBOLA could be verified either in ISIALA NGWA or any other location in Abia State. The story of a woman whose identity cannot be ascertained that died of suspected EBOLA virus at Ndiolumbe ISIALA NGWA is possibly the figment of the imagination of those who are peddling the rumour.
Again, it is sad that these mischief makers could claim that the state Commissioner for Health could not be reached for comments. This is absurd, wicked and unfair. The state Commissioner for Health and indeed his colleagues have been working round the clock as part of the state’s commitment to checkmating the deadly disease from entering the state. As at the same FRIDAY reported in the newspapers, the state’s Ministry of Health unveiled five centres designated as QUARANTINE in different areas of the STATE.
The general public especially Abia residents are please advised to disregard the stories in The Nation and SUN newspapers as there is no case of EBOLA in Abia
