The National President, Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) Jamilu Shuaibu has exonerated members of the association from having hands in the ill-fated decontamination exercise recently conducted in Ekiti state.
At least 100 students were said to have been hospitalised as a result of the exercise.
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Shuaibu made remark today in Kano while speaking to newsmen.
He wondered why such a blame should be apportioned on members of the association for what they knew nothing about, saying that the fumigation exercise ought to have been handled by a professional government agency which was primarily saddled with the responsibility of conducting it.
He said the issue of seeking collaboration in a situation where there was the need for co-opting professional agencies like EHOAN, prevent the risk of incurring unpleasant consequences which would not have arisen as it happened in Ekiti State.
“Conducting fumigation exercise by the Federal Fire Service a lone was a task that ought not to be executed without seeking collaboration of professional government agencies.
“In all honesty our members were never a party to such illegal act. Everyone in the country is fully conversant of the fact that the responsibility of the Fire Service is clearly spelt out. Firemen are saddled with the responsibility of rescuing victims trapped in a collapsed building.
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“They also carry out fire fighting role in case of fire incident. They also rescue people in a situation one got drowned in a river or pond.”
“Let me cite a good example as far as the role of members of our professional body is concerned. At the peak of the much dreaded Covid-19, we got involved in the task of conducting fumigation and decontamination and recorded no casualties as a fall-out of that exercise.
“Our members were conversant with the nitty-gritty of handling such a herculean task,” he said.
According to him, the Federal Fire Service should desist from conducting fumigation or decontamination exercise in a situation whereby collaboration from notable professional agencies was not sought.
“They cannot give what they don’t have. It is a professional job for trained, registered and licensed environmental health officers and private practitioners,” he said.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to direct such responsibility to the appropriate professional agencies in order to avoid such a mess
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He also stressed the need for the government to employ adequate environmental heath officers in the nation’s public service
“In addition, there is also the compelling need for the Federal Fire Service to tender an unreserved apology to our members nationwide,” he added.
