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Ebola: NLC bars delegates from Liberia, others

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• FRSC warns drivers against overloading
In fresh attempts to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday barred delegates from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, countries the deadly disease is ravaging.
Delegates from the states were to attend a training workshop in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. NLC president Abdulwaheed Omar said only Ghanaian delegates were invited.
This is even as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) warned commercial drivers against overloading to prevent spread of the disease. The measure is to reduce body contact.
Speaking at the opening of the 2014 Rain School training workshop held at the Workers’ Solidarity Centre in Uyo, Comrade Omar said that only Ghana was invited for the programme.
“Participants from trade union centre in some countries in the West Africa sub-region were initially billed to attend the school, but due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus pandemic, they were asked not to bother,” he said.
According to him, the NLC wrote the countries to stay away having earlier extended invitations to them. “We asked them to stay back because we don’t want to scare the larger crowd. We also hope the government and all the stakeholders in medical profession and in the international community will do their utmost best to contain the spread of the disease so that the human race will be spared the fear and havoc associated with the spread of the dreaded virus by finding cure for it.”
The NLC president, who expressed dismay over the state of the country, said this year’s Rain School, which was the 12th in the series has the theme: “Inequality and Socio-Polical Instability: Issues and challenges for the working class,” which is expected to proffer solutions to the myriad problems facing the nation.
He lamented the current state of insecurity in the country, saying it is the manifestation of deep-rooted and structurally entrenched crisis of development that creates the environment for poverty, unemployment, and inequality in the country.
Comrade Omar regretted that 15 years of unbroken democracy, there is still little to show as abuse of human rights, harassment of the media, disruption of peaceful protests, diminishing jobs were being witnessed daily.
He, however, advised the government to make democracy more meaningful and beneficial to the people.
Meanwhile, the Unit Commander of the FRSC in Ile-Ife, Mr Richard Adetoro, who led officers of the corps on an inspection of vehicles plying Akure/Ilesa/Ile-Ife road said drivers had been mandated to carry maximum of three passengers henceforth as a way of preventing the spread of Ebola.
Mr Adetoro, who said that the FRSC was ready to collaborate with other agencies to prevent the spread of the virus, noted that the virus could be prevented by avoiding overloading of passengers.
He said drivers plying the Akure/Ile-Ife road had been sensitized on the dangers inherent in overloading; adding that those who fail to comply with the order would be sanctioned henceforth.

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