SAN FRANCISCO, August 20, (THEWILL) – A crack emerged Wednesday between the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government in the management of data concerning the deadly Ebola disease in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, with the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu urging the general public to disregard claims made in a press briefing Wednesday afternoon by the Lagos Health Commissioner, Jide Idris, that 5 new suspected cases of the Ebola virus have occurred in Lagos.
The Commissioner said the sick persons who were admitted at the Mainland Hospital in Yaba Lagos on Tuesday showed Ebola symptoms.
However, the Minister of Health in a statement Wednesday night (local time) said, “This report should be disregarded” reiterating that “Nigeria has only two confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease.”
The Minister said the clarification was due to news reports of five new cases of Ebola in Lagos quoting the Commissioner as source.
“The Honourable Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu wishes to reiterate that at present, Nigeria has only two confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease. This clarification follows media reports of five new cases in Lagos State. This report should be disregarded.
“The minister reiterates that any doubtful information on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria should be verified from the Office of the Honourable Minister of Health who has the sole authority to announce confirmed cases as far as disease epidemics in Nigeria are concerned.
“The minister further reassures the public that any new confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease will be announced by his office promptly,” the statement by Dan Nwomeh, Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health, said.
The Minister reaffirmed that “as at 7 pm today, there is no other confirmed Ebola Virus Disease case in Nigeria outside the two that are currently under treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.”
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