With the Ebola fear yet to finally clear, private workers at the
Murtala Mohamed International Airport have called for the protection of
their members. This category of workers, best known as airport private
operators, are individuals engaged in private trades or are service
providers in and around the airport vicinity. They are not in the books
of any governmental agencies but are believed to provide essential
services to the workers and passengers, thereby contributing to the
seamless operation of the airport. According to Daily Sun
investigation, these include porters, bureau de change operators, taxi
operators, bar, restaurant and other shop attendants as well as retail
outlet owners.
During a recent visit to the Murtala Mohamed International Airport,
Lagos, some of them spoken to expressed fear that should there be any
slip, leading to any Ebola patient, coming into the country through the
airport, their members were susceptible to contracting the dreaded virus
and being infected by the disease.
Citing the incident of the patient, who crumpled and died while undergoing Ebola checks at the facility, they expressed fears that they were gravely at risk, as most passengers, who travel through the airport usually have one thing or another to do with their members. They, therefore, expressed fear over the safety of their health.
Speaking to our correspondent, they called on the airport health authorities, the Federal and Lagos State ministries of health to provide them with protective equipment to stay free of the scourge.
The visit to the facility also provided our correspondent the opportunity to assess the level of Ebola awareness among the private airport operators and whether the authorities had been collaborating with them to safeguard their health and ensure that there was no outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Findings revealed that the usual hustle and bustle which are typical of the airport were in place as the facility was very much alive. However, some workers in the formal sector appeared to be observing some caution by wearing hand gloves. But for the private airport operators in the informal sector, their case was different as they carried on without caution. For this group, it was business as usual. However, it members showed more than enough understanding of the prevalence of the EVD. But, they said they didn’t know whether they should adopt some personal measures to protect themselves or not.
The head of the bureau de change operators identified as Alhiri Bureau du Change Association and owner of Adamu International said his members were aware of the presence of the disease in Nigeria. “We have been hearing of it on radio and television,” he said.
He further said that judging by the vicious nature of the scourge, it was obvious his members required more enlightenment on how to avoid it since they were inclined to interacting with more and more people traveling in and out of the country. “We have been hearing all what is being said about the disease and how it can kill its victim in a matter of days. They said we should be wearing gloves and that we should be wearing masks over our face to cover our noses and mouths. But they have not given us any of such equipment yet. We’re still waiting to receive those protective equipment from for the authorities,” he said.
He maintained that his association was looking up to the relevant health authorities for assistance. “We are expecting that health officers from the airport would come and lecture us on what we need to do. We need gloves and they are the people we are expecting to come here and supply it to all our members here.”
Adamu also spoke on efforts by his association to safeguard its members saying: “I have already told all my members that each and every one of them should get a glove and try to wear a gear to cover their mouths. We are still organising ourselves to buy the masks. Maybe you can help us tell the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to come to our aid.”
On their part, the taxi cab operators who identified their group as Airport Limousine Shuttle Services Nigeria, spoke on their fears. The Vice Chairman, Collins Eharie, who described all service providers within the airport environment as stakeholders, said: “Because we operate within the airport premises we are major stakeholders in the aviation industry. We are very close to FAAN as well as all travelers and visitors.
“We carry workers of other stakeholders from the international wing of the airport to Hajji Camp and to other parts of Lagos State and even beyond. We have been hearing about EVD from the media but no one has come to talk to us on one-on-one basis.”
The taxi operators said their group was aware of efforts by the Federal and Lagos State governments at ensuring the curtailment of the spread of the disease and pledged their cooperation in that regard. “We have heard that we need hand gloves and masks to cover some parts of our bodies. But so far, nobody has given us any of such equipment, even though hand gloves are not too expensive. I think that on our part, we can afford them. But nobody has come to tell us what more we need to do.”
On what the group was doing as preventive purposes, the vice chairman disclosed that they were complying with every measure aimed at preventing the disease such as regular hand washing. “When we heard rumours about the salt water bath, we avoided all that. Now, we try to wash our hands regularly so as to avoid the disease.
“However, we still need the authorities to tell us more about what we should do to avoid that problem. I think the airport authorities said they would send people to tell us more things about the virus. But we have not seen any body. However, we are glad that the Federal and Lagos State governments acted fast to prevent the disease from spreading much faster.”
A porter, Mr. Bode Bamgbose, also spoke concerning what he knew and was doing about the disease. He said:
“In the news, we have been hearing that Ebola is in Nigeria. But I am not scared; I have to eat and we have to work, Ebola or no Ebola.
“I’m not wearing a glove because I don’t have one. May be Governor Babatunde Fashola or the Minister of Health, Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu would send us the gloves and masks they said we should be wearing. But, I wonder what I would look like going about in that face mask while doing my job.”
Citing the incident of the patient, who crumpled and died while undergoing Ebola checks at the facility, they expressed fears that they were gravely at risk, as most passengers, who travel through the airport usually have one thing or another to do with their members. They, therefore, expressed fear over the safety of their health.
Speaking to our correspondent, they called on the airport health authorities, the Federal and Lagos State ministries of health to provide them with protective equipment to stay free of the scourge.
The visit to the facility also provided our correspondent the opportunity to assess the level of Ebola awareness among the private airport operators and whether the authorities had been collaborating with them to safeguard their health and ensure that there was no outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Findings revealed that the usual hustle and bustle which are typical of the airport were in place as the facility was very much alive. However, some workers in the formal sector appeared to be observing some caution by wearing hand gloves. But for the private airport operators in the informal sector, their case was different as they carried on without caution. For this group, it was business as usual. However, it members showed more than enough understanding of the prevalence of the EVD. But, they said they didn’t know whether they should adopt some personal measures to protect themselves or not.
The head of the bureau de change operators identified as Alhiri Bureau du Change Association and owner of Adamu International said his members were aware of the presence of the disease in Nigeria. “We have been hearing of it on radio and television,” he said.
He further said that judging by the vicious nature of the scourge, it was obvious his members required more enlightenment on how to avoid it since they were inclined to interacting with more and more people traveling in and out of the country. “We have been hearing all what is being said about the disease and how it can kill its victim in a matter of days. They said we should be wearing gloves and that we should be wearing masks over our face to cover our noses and mouths. But they have not given us any of such equipment yet. We’re still waiting to receive those protective equipment from for the authorities,” he said.
He maintained that his association was looking up to the relevant health authorities for assistance. “We are expecting that health officers from the airport would come and lecture us on what we need to do. We need gloves and they are the people we are expecting to come here and supply it to all our members here.”
Adamu also spoke on efforts by his association to safeguard its members saying: “I have already told all my members that each and every one of them should get a glove and try to wear a gear to cover their mouths. We are still organising ourselves to buy the masks. Maybe you can help us tell the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to come to our aid.”
On their part, the taxi cab operators who identified their group as Airport Limousine Shuttle Services Nigeria, spoke on their fears. The Vice Chairman, Collins Eharie, who described all service providers within the airport environment as stakeholders, said: “Because we operate within the airport premises we are major stakeholders in the aviation industry. We are very close to FAAN as well as all travelers and visitors.
“We carry workers of other stakeholders from the international wing of the airport to Hajji Camp and to other parts of Lagos State and even beyond. We have been hearing about EVD from the media but no one has come to talk to us on one-on-one basis.”
The taxi operators said their group was aware of efforts by the Federal and Lagos State governments at ensuring the curtailment of the spread of the disease and pledged their cooperation in that regard. “We have heard that we need hand gloves and masks to cover some parts of our bodies. But so far, nobody has given us any of such equipment, even though hand gloves are not too expensive. I think that on our part, we can afford them. But nobody has come to tell us what more we need to do.”
On what the group was doing as preventive purposes, the vice chairman disclosed that they were complying with every measure aimed at preventing the disease such as regular hand washing. “When we heard rumours about the salt water bath, we avoided all that. Now, we try to wash our hands regularly so as to avoid the disease.
“However, we still need the authorities to tell us more about what we should do to avoid that problem. I think the airport authorities said they would send people to tell us more things about the virus. But we have not seen any body. However, we are glad that the Federal and Lagos State governments acted fast to prevent the disease from spreading much faster.”
A porter, Mr. Bode Bamgbose, also spoke concerning what he knew and was doing about the disease. He said:
“In the news, we have been hearing that Ebola is in Nigeria. But I am not scared; I have to eat and we have to work, Ebola or no Ebola.
“I’m not wearing a glove because I don’t have one. May be Governor Babatunde Fashola or the Minister of Health, Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu would send us the gloves and masks they said we should be wearing. But, I wonder what I would look like going about in that face mask while doing my job.”
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