BY JEFFERSON IBIWALE, BENIN

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Monday held a meeting with market women in the state to sensitise them on precautionary measures to take to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in the state.

The governor also used the meeting held in Benin to educate the market women on the permanent voters’ cards to be used in the 2015 general elections.

Noting that the Ebola disease is difficult to manage, Oshiomole advised the market women leaders to sensitise their members “to be wary of whom they shake or embrace because the disease causes serious sickness that can lead to death at short notice”.

“It is good that we should know what to do as people travel to different parts of the country. People walk about and we do not know those who are infected. That is why we must be prepared and plan so that if anybody sees any victim, he or she should know what to do, he said.

Also speaking on the permanent voters’ cards, governor Oshiomole reminded the women that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would soon commence their distribution in the State.

“I am advising all of you to set aside whatever you may be doing and go to your respective centres as may be designated by INEC officials and make sure you collect your cards because it is your power as the 2015 general elections draws closer,” he advised the market leaders.

He said further: “As busy women, some of you may want to procrastinate your collection to a later date. It is risky because the exercise according to INEC will last for three days. So we want to ensure that within those three days, every market woman goes to the designated centres to collect their permanent voters’ card because without that, you cannot vote and if you have the temporary voters’ card, you will not be allowed to vote”.

He also urged the market women to educate their members that they can swear to an affidavit to enable them get permanent voters’ card if the temporary ones issued to them had been misplaced or lost.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Edo State Health commissioner for Health, Aihanuwa Eregie, observed that that the Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 and that “the virus can be found in animals like monkey, bat, chimpanzee, and hunters who go to the bush to hunt for animals can get in contact with the virus.”

She said that although the disease had not yet been found in the state, there is need for effective sensitization to alert the people, especially the market women who travel from one part of the state to another.

Responding on behalf of the market women, Blacky Omoregie, leader of the market women delegation from Edo south, thanked the governor for the sensitization meeting and assured him that the women will respond to the call for personal hygiene and caution.

“We thank you our comrade Governor on this very important meeting and I want to assure you that our market women will be enlightened on the need to observe precautionary measures so as to prevent the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the state as well as ensure that they all collect their permanent voters cards when the time comes,” she said