"There Is No Proper Screening Of Passengers For Coronavirus At Nigerian Airports" - Senate

The President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday , indicted the Federal Ministry of Health for not putting serious measures in place to prevent the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria .

He , therefore, urged the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care to further liaise with the Ministry to intensify screening of passengers at the nation ’s airports and seaports.

Lawan stated this following a point of order by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ajayi Boroffice .

Boroffice drew the attention of the Senate to the failure of health personnel at the airports and seaports to thoroughly screen passengers coming into the country .

He explained that he was subjected to screening for Coronavirus on arrival at a South African airport recently .

He said the screening at the South African airport usually takes up to 30 minutes before passengers would be allowed to disembark the aircraft .

He said the situation was different on his arrival at the Nigerian airport when the health officials in the nation ’ s airports merely issued a form for passengers to indicate if they were sick or not.

He said:

“There is no form of any screening of passengers for Coronavirus by Nigerian officials at the airport .

“It is worrisome , situations where travellers coming into the country were not dully screened for the dreaded virus. ”

Boroffice said he brought the attention of the Senate to his experience for the Federal Ministry of Health and other concerned agencies to take note .

Lawan commended Boroffice for raising the issue .

He said every country in the world was making efforts to ensure that the virus did not cross their borders .

He said although the Federal Ministry of Health and other associated agencies were doing their best , their best was not good enough .

“We must take all the necessary measures at our ports, airports , seaports, to protect our people .

“If anybody is coming from China , he or she should be quarantined not even isolation for two weeks or four weeks , we have to protect the lives of Nigerians” he added .