By Hassan Bruz, Sierra Leone.
The fight against Ebola is winnable if people are obedient and disciplined enough. This was the message of the Inspector General of Police, Francis Allieu Munu (photo) to the people of Sierra Leone during a recent tour of the various regions in the country. It was a joint tour with the Chief of Defence Staff, S O Williams to have an on the spot assessment of what obtains in the different localities with regards the spread of the Ebola virus disease.
In the North-Western region which is comprised of Port Loko district and the border district of Kambia, the team was received by the Assistant Inspector General of Police F U K Daboh who described both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector General of Police as a unique set of dedicated and dutiful Officers.
It appeared that all the places selected for the visit including Lunsar, Port Loko, Kambia and the border town of Gbalamuya were specifically listed for special reasons. According to F U K Daboh, Lunsar was chosen because of the repeated reports of Ebola denial cases, while Port Loko town was selected for its conflicting and scary figures of Ebola related cases. As for Kambia, he said the essence was to encourage stakeholders for the hard work carried out and for the personnel and workers at the Gbalamuya border post to be more vigilant in the execution of their duties.
In all of these places, the Inspector General of Police delivered a thorough lecture on the devastating impact the disease has continued to have on the country citing the restriction of movements, the exodus of investors and the collapsing economy. He observed that the facts about Ebola are so vivid that people must now consider what should be their input to protect themselves and others.
Munu used the occasion to inform the people about the seriousness President Koroma has attached to the Ebola fight and how the country was now in a state of emergency. He further spoke of the need to protect health workers, the establishment of check points to ensure initial screening, the deployment of personnel at quarantined locations as well as those on call to support Contact Tracers. He said these are exceptional situations that require exceptional solutions as a result of which some bye laws have been established with corresponding penalties. Francis Munu noted that the virus has claimed so many lives that the people should not afford to make further mistakes with Ebola; rather, they must be willing to entertain temporal inconveniences. He said they should therefore not allow their personal or political differences to distract them from this national focus.
At the Gbalamuya Joint Border Post, the Inspector General Police, with the Chief of Defence Staff by his side, informed the gathering about the Memorandum of Understanding that has come into force between the National Revenue Authority and the Sierra Leone Police and advised against all forms of malpractices. He made the point at the Kambia Police Station where he cited the case of some personnel that have been accused of receiving bribes at a check point and how those involved will be dismissed if the allegations were proved to be true and correct.
The team also paid a courtesy call on Paramount Chief Koblo Queen of Marampa Chiefdom, Port Loko district and the Paramount Chief of Kambia district Bubu Ngbeck of Magbema Chiefdom. The courtesy calls were in compliance with the newly prescribed bye laws some of which require every visitor to report to the local authorities. The visit of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff was climaxed by the presentation of infrared thermometers to be used at the various screening check points in the region.
The Inspector General Munu said the disease can be spread through contact and people should use the knowledge gained to prevent the infection, support the Contact Tracers and control interactions. He added that people should not participate in burial activities. He then appealed for the cooperation of all and sundry.
Inspector General of Police Francis Munu washing his hands to demonstrate the importance of hand washing in the fight against Ebola. Chief of Defence Staff Williams is in black suit.
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