…cancel friendly to check Ebola outbreak in Nigeria – Charly Boy warns
The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Monday, said players of the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo would be subjected to thorough screening in their country and in Nigeria ahead of their friendly match with the Super Eagles.
This is because of the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Congo.
Dalung disclosed this in an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the nation’s preparedness for the friendly match and World Cup holding in Russia next month.
Both teams are scheduled to play a friendly match on Monday, at the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Dalung explained that the match would not be put off because of the outbreak but stringent precautionary measure would be taken.
He said, “Nigeria is going to play the friendly with DRC. I have discussed with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation in anticipation.
“We have reviewed the situation and received adequate information about it. So we have agreed on major approaches.
“One, the DRC team is coming through a chartered flight and those coming for the match will be using that chartered flight and they would have been screened from the DRC and they will be screened here in Nigeria.
“No other person is going to be admitted using any other means of transportation for the match. We also discovered that the Ebola outbreak is limited to a particular place and it has not escalated.
“So we wouldn’t want to run the risk of setting a precedent which we will later be a victim. Based on that, we only introduced strict policies to ensure that the match takes place and the match will take place.”
Dalung insisted that the Super Eagles are going to Russia to win the trophy.
He boasted that the team will not end their participation midway.
“We are going to Russia as contestants and not as participants.”
Meanwhile, Charles Oputa, AKA Charly Boy, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the international friendly between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and their DR Congo counterparts scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on May 28 as a result of the Ebola outbreak in the central African country.
Charly Boy, who took to Social Media, wants President Buhari to prevail over Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung, and NFF President, Amaju Pinnick to cancel the May 28 fixture to save Nigerians from a fresh Ebola threat.
The popular Nigerian entertainer turned activist and our Mumu don do convener argued that the planned Ebola screening for the DR Congo squad on arrival on May 25 is not 100% safe.
At least 15 people have been killed in the recent outbreak of Ebola in the giant Central African nation.
His words: “If you know Amaju Pinnick , NFF President make una warn am. Why we wan carry Congo players come inside our country play friendly match where Ebola don kill many of dem people. If Ebola enter we country under Buhari, we don die finish 0!!!! Our Mumu suppose do. “
Meanwhile, the Minister of Sport, Solomon Dalung has said the planned friendly will go on as planned.
He said arrangements have been concluded to screen the team on arrival.
“Nigeria is going to play the friendly with DRC, I have discussed with the Federal Ministry of Health with the World Health Organization in participation and we have reviewed the situation and received adequate information about it,” Dalung told journalists in Abuja on Monday.
“Agreements have been reached that the Congolese players and officials be screened before leaving their country and we have also agreed that we would conduct our own screening when they arrive in Nigeria,” he explained.
