The Nigerian Bar Association on Tuesday insisted on holding its Annual General Conference in Owerri, Imo State capital, as scheduled between August 24 and 29.
This was despite calls on the leadership of the association to postpone the conference to avert possible spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.
The NBA president, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN) said the association had put in place adequate measures to avert possible spread of the disease during the conference.
He said about 10,000 lawyers were expected to attend the conference, but added that there would be no time when more than 2,000 of them would be sitting together in the same venue.
The theme of the conference, during which the president-elect of the association, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), will be sworn in for a two-year term, is ‘Nigeria: A 100 years After’.
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to declare the conference open on Thursday, while former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, will be the chairman of the opening ceremony.
Dr. George Amale is the keynote speaker.
Assuring potential participants at the conference of their safety, Wali said in a statement on Tuesday that Imo State had not been flagged as a state where potential victim could be.
He said, “Note that Imo state is not one of the states that have been flagged as location where potential victims have been sighted.
“Please further note that all the conference participants do not gather at the same venue at the same time. They are usually spread out in different sessions going on simultaneously.
“It is on record that ever since the outbreak of Ebola, there have been larger gathering of people at the same venue at the same time like churches, mosques, religious crusades, political rallies. At these gatherings, they always experience the minimum number of 5,000 people at the same time.
“There is no NBA session at the Annual General Conference that has more than 2,000 persons at the same time. Therefore the 2014 Annual General Conference in Owerri, Imo State is safe.”
Chairman of the National Human Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, who is scheduled to speak at the conference, had on Sunday urged the NBA leadership to postpone the event.
Despite the NBA’s assurances of measures it had put in place Odinkalu said he would not attend the event, saying he had remained under surveillance for possible Ebola infection.
He said the surveillance became necessary because he was treated as an outpatient by one of the doctors who had contact with the American-Liberian Ebola victim, Patrick Sawyer, who brought the disease to Nigeria.
He said there was no way the safeguards the NBA said it had put in place would detect this if he had not disclosed the information.
Also on Monday, the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association has called on the NBA to postpone the conference because of the Ebola disease.
But the NBA President, in his pre-conference speech, insisted that the measures that had been put in place would prevent
He said, “On Ebola Virus Disease, measures NBA has taken so far are as follows:
“The Nigerian Bar Association has purchased hand bacterial and viral sanitizers which will be given to every conferee for usage throughout the conference.
“Latex gloves and masks for our service providers deployed to man registration, Marshalls (if necessary), etc.
“Non-contact laser guns for temperature monitoring and screening of participants; dispensing of non-contact hand sanitizers in select public places, with refills; dettol anti-bacteria hand wash for the various restrooms plus mobile toilets.
“NBA Owerri branch has secured the collaboration and services of Nigerian Medical Association, Imo State Chapter to provide ambulances and other medical equipment and personnel.
“Education and enlightenment of members. Example is to avoid shaking of hands and physical body contact. “We will partner with Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria and Aviation Ministry for Airport screening on landing and surveillance at the Airports.
“We urge our members to please maintain higher standard of hygiene.”
