Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has assured the House of Representatives of measures to protect inmates and personnel against possible Ebola transmission in custodial centres across the country.
The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, gave the assurance on Tuesday at a public hearing on the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, organised by the joint House Committees on Infectious Diseases, Healthcare Services, Aviation and Interior in Abuja.
Nwakuche said the Service was strengthening disease surveillance, infection prevention and emergency response measures to prevent an outbreak in correctional facilities.
He identified overcrowding, shared facilities and frequent human interactions as factors that could complicate disease containment in custodial centres.
He said the Service was prioritising early detection of suspected cases, health screening, provision of personal protective equipment and designated isolation spaces in collaboration with public health authorities.
The Controller-General, however, identified inadequate funding, medical infrastructure and protective equipment as major requirements for effective preparedness.
He called on the Federal Government to include the Service in publicly funded health emergency response programmes, noting that custodial centres required protective equipment, disinfectants, screening devices, ambulances and improved medical facilities.
Nwakuche also stressed the need for regular training of correctional officers and healthcare workers to identify suspected cases, use protective equipment and respond to emergencies.
He said the Service would strengthen collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and state health authorities to improve disease surveillance, testing and emergency response.
“I wish to assure this Honourable Committee that the Nigerian Correctional Service will continue to discharge its statutory responsibilities and work with relevant stakeholders to minimise the risk of infectious disease transmission within custodial centres,” Nwakuche promised.
He added that adequate government support and the inclusion of correctional facilities in national health emergency programmes were necessary to protect inmates, personnel and the wider community.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, called for sustained vigilance against Ebola, despite the evacuation of the confirmed imported case and the absence of established onward transmission.
Abbas, who was represented by the member representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency, Billy Adesuwa Osawaru, said public health security was inseparable from national security.
He said the hearing would enable lawmakers to assess the country’s disease surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, isolation facilities, emergency response infrastructure and border screening arrangements.
The Speaker said the legislature would examine existing preparedness measures and ensure that relevant institutions had the resources and legal backing to protect Nigerians.
He added that the hearing was not intended to create panic, noting that there were no active Ebola cases in the country at the time.
“Our main purpose is to strengthen public confidence through preparedness, transparency and institutional accountability, and to ensure that our response capacity remains strong enough to confront any future threat,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the Joint House Committees, Amobi Godwin Ogah, said the hearing followed concerns raised by Nigerians after reports of Ebola cases in the country.
Ogah recalled the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which had serious physical, psychological and economic consequences, saying the country must take necessary precautions to prevent a recurrence.
He said the House had passed a resolution urging the executive to strengthen preventive and emergency medical measures against the disease.
Ogah commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing a Presidential Task Force on the outbreak and approving N10bn to support containment efforts. He also praised the NCDC for coordinating the national response.
He said the hearing would provide an opportunity for relevant agencies to explain their preparedness and measures to protect Nigerians, particularly at airports and other entry points.
Ogah said, “This public hearing is intended to bring critical stakeholders to the forefront of containment measures against the Ebola virus in Nigeria, and to inform Nigerians what they have done and what they intend to do to keep Nigerians safe from the Ebola virus outbreak.”
