Despite Ebola Scare:NBA Insist On Going Ahead With National Convention In Owerri

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday insisted that its conference scheduled to take place in Owerri, the Imo State capital would go ahead despite the warning that the gathering of people should be avoided to curtail  the spread of  the  Ebola Virus Disease.

A statement issued by the association’s president, Okey Wali (SAN), said over 10, 000 lawyers were expected at the event.

Wali said the association and the Imo State Government had put measures in place to prevent the spread of the disease.

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to open the session.
He said the association  had purchased hand bacterial and viral sanitizers which would be given to every conferee for usage throughout the conference.

Wali said latex gloves and masks have been purchased  for service providers deployed to man registration.

Other measures the association said would be put in place include: Non-contact laser guns for temperature monitoring and screening of participants; public installed, standing dispensing non-contact hand sanitizers in select public places, with refills and Dettol anti-bacteria hand wash for the various restrooms and mobile toilets.

He also said the association’s Owerri branch had secured the collaboration and services of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Imo State chapter to provide ambulances and other medical equipment and personnel.
He said participants would be enlightened  to avoid shaking of hands and physical body contact.

“We will partner with FAAN and Aviation Ministry for Airport screening on landing and surveillance at the airports,” he said.

He urged members of the association to maintain high standard of hygiene.

He said: “It is on record that ever since the outbreak of Ebola, there have been larger gathering of people at the same venue at the same time like churches, mosques, religious crusades, political rallies. At this gatherings, they always experience the minimum number of 5,000 people at the same time. There is no NBA session at the Annual General Conference that has more than 2,000 persons at the same time. Therefore the 2014 Annual General Conference in Owerri, Imo State is safe.”

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, had earlier called on the association  to defer the conference scheduled to take place in Owerri, Imo State, from August 24 to 29.

In a statement, Odinkalu said the NBA had a responsibility to contribute to measures to control and manage the public health emergency caused by the presence of the Ebola virus in Nigeria.

He said it would be ill-judgment to continue with the conference in the circumstances of the present public health emergency prevailing in the country.

Odinkalu said: “The NBA conference is usually a very large gathering.  “Its venues usually attract well in excess of 20,000 participants, traders and visitors.

“It’s an excellent market place for a virus in search of vectors.”

On  August 15, the NBA issued a public statement claiming that it “is putting adequate anti-Ebola precautions in place for its members attending the 2014 Annual General Conference in Owerri.”  However, it failed to say what these precautions were or who said they were “adequate.”

“As a result, participants were not in a position to asses independently what risks they run in attending the conference,” he added.  According to him, the most “adequate precaution” the NBA can take at this time is to defer the conference.

He said: “It should do so. If the NBA declines, I would urge government at all levels to strongly request it to do so.”
Odinkalu said he was scheduled to speak at the Owerri conference.

He said: “I have also been a person under observation for Ebola because as an out-patient I was attended on 21 July by one of the doctors in Lagos who managed the index case, i.e., on the day after he was admitted.
“The NBA has no way of knowing this and has made no effort to elicit this kind of information from any of the participants.

“I have decided that I will not go to Owerri. As an act of responsible citizenship, I would also urge as many intending participants as possible to consider withdrawing from the Owerri conference.
“To address leadership continuity in the association, in the interim, the inauguration of the new leadership of the NBA can take place at a modest ceremony at the NBA Secretariat in Abuja.”