The swine flu epidemic that first hit Mexico before spreading to the United States of America, the Middle East, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region, has prompted the Federal government to direct that all aircraft and ships arriving the country be checked and cleaned up to ensure that both passengers and luggage have no trace of the swine influenza on them.
The Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, who made this known while speaking with State House Correspondents in Abuja yesterday said: “government has dispatched experts to sea ports and airports to ensure that this directive is carried out.”
According to him, “This directive became necessary following the outbreak of swine influenza in Mexico and other parts of Europe.
“The swine influenza, which is also referred to as swine flu was first reported in Mexico on April 16 and has been confirmed to cause the death of hundreds of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its alert level to phase four warning that the deadly flu infection has the potential of resulting to a world wide pandemic and therefore countries should take adequate measures to avoid its spread.”
The Federal Government has also placed an indefinite ban on the importation of pigs as part of measures to prevent the spread of the deadly swine flu into the country.
The Director of Livestock and Pest Control, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Junaid Maina, made this known in Abuja yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said in addition, the issuance of animal import licence was being restricted to countries that were free from the disease.
“As a delegate of the World Animal Health Organisation, I have all information on the disease outbreak from every country in the world for checks and balances.
“Permits will only be given on condition that you are bringing animals from disease free countries,’’ he added.
Maina said due to the capacity of the virus to spread rapidly across international boundaries, the ministry had commenced the implementation of various measures to curtail its spread.
He said the measures included putting surveillance officers on the alert.
Meanwhile, the federal government has stressed its readiness to withdraw the operational licences of oil companies and manufacturing industries operating in the country that continue to pollute the environment in the cause of their operations in fragrant disregard to environmental safety rules and regulations
According to the Environment Minister, “If these companies continue to pollute our environment in the cause of their operations in fragrant disregard to our environmental safety rules and regulations, government will have no option other than to withdraw their licence.
“A situation where oil companies and manufacturing industries fragrantly fail to comply to government laid down environmental safety rules and regulations can no longer be tolerated,” he noted.
Odey lamented that the poor compliance of operating oil companies and manufacturing industries over the years had resulted in oil spillage, environmental degradation and general environmental hazards which had affected the health of the people.
Government, he said, had therefore strengthened the national environmental standards and regulations enforcement agency as part of its renewed commitment to creating a better, safer and cleaner environment.
“Government has strengthened the national environmental standards and regulations enforcement agency as part of our renewed commitment to creating a better, safer and cleaner environment,” he disclosed.
As part of government efforts to properly equip the agency, Odey said three national reference environmental laboratories are to be established in the country.
According to him, one of the laboratories is already established in Kano, while the other two would be located in Port Harcourt and Lagos. He added that, “these laboratories will closely monitor all the effluent discharges to ensure that they meet the standards required of them” Odey further stressed that although the companies provide huge employment opportunities in the country, the challenges posed by the effluent discharges in the cause of their operations needed to be closely monitored “in order to ensure that the socio-economic advantages of these companies do not vitiate by health risks of their dangerous emissions and discharges”.
Apr292009