Public health experts seek inclusion in COVID-19 fumigation

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Environmental Preservation, Development & Restoration International Organization (EPDRIO) has called on the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello to intervene in the abnormalities they face while doing their business in the territory.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Terungwa Abari and Samuel Odigie, President and Vice President of the association respectively informed that they are private sector professional association of public health practitioners, pest controllers and fumigators who are duly registered (Fumigators/ Pest Control Professionals) in the FCT, with the relevant statutory and regulatory agencies that mandate the practicing of their professional works in FCT in particular and Nigeria in general. Abari narrated how they were asked to mobilize for decontamination/disinfection of the FCT for the covid-19 pandemic only to be dumped at the start of the exercise.
He said upon their members invested in the procurement of more equipment towards the exercise in addition to their already owned equipment all of which were paraded and utilized at the flag-off exercise, only to be shut out when it matters most.
“After the Flag-off exercise, presided over by the Hon. Minister of State for the FCT, we looked forward to being invited to commence the real decontamination/disinfection exercise proper, but this has not yet happened! and timing is of essence in this matter of COVID-19 global scourge”.
He also complained on Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)’s extortion on their clients hiding under Covid-19 pandemic decontamination/disinfection.
He said AMAC has targeted Banks, Filling Stations, Shopping Malls, Hotels and similar Business organisations of whom their members have valid, running, and subsisting, business agreements for quite a while now.
“Recently, the AMAC wrote letters that they have appointed someone to come and ‘fumigate’ their premises for unilaterally decided huge sums of money regardless of whether the client has a subsisting professional company(even fully registered with the same AMAC) that carries out such services professionally”.
Abari lamented that these developments have caused their members restiveness as their means of livelihood and that of their numerous employees are being threatened and endangered.
“There are lots of embarrassments, frustrations and confusion out there in the field from our clients, and our members, as to why the perpetration of these dastardly acts”.
He however, called on the relevant authorities and the Hon Minister of the FCT to dispassionately, and unequivocally, intervene to redress these problems and abnormalities that threaten their existing businesses and investments as a result of which their teaming members are becoming restive and tension is building up.
He implored the Minister to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish, thrive; and to unambiguously, support SME’s as championed by the current administration of our President Mohammadu Buhari.