There was jubilation at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in Osun State as the authorities barred students from Liberia and other West African countries hit by the Ebola virus from returning to the institution for now.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Bamitale Omole, who said this at a press conference on Thursday, also announced that the result of the tests carried out on the blood sample of a female student of the university was negative.

The student, who took ill in the university was a   secondary contact of the Port Harcourt, Rivers State doctor,   Iyke Enemuo, who died of the EVD recently.

He said, “We have asked some foreign students not to resume. Students from Liberia have been asked not to resume and they have not resumed.”

The Vice-Chancellor added that   the institution authorites had bought infrared thermometers to measure temperature of students and staff as another measure to make the OAU Ebola free.

He also said that an EVS Surveillance and Monitoring unit where   suspected cases of the EVD could be reported had been established.

Omole said that the female student   whose blood sample was tested walked to the university’s Health Centre and volunterred information about her contact with the late doctor.

Omole added that he contacted the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyeabuchi Chukwu, after which a special ambulance was sent to evacuate her from the OAU to Lagos.

The vice-chancellor said, “Sequel to an earlier release on a female student of the OAU , who was suspected to have been a secondary contact with EVD and who was sent to the Ebola Isolation Centre in Lagos for further clinical and laboratory investigation, the university authorities are happy to announce that the result of the preliminary and confirmatory tests proved negative.

“The university authorities therefore wish to inform the university community and the general public that the preliminary results and the confirmatory tests proved negative.

“Consequently, this university is EVD free.

“Therefore, everyone is enjoined to go about their normal activities freely without fear or panic. However, as prevention is better than cure, members of the university community and the general public are advised to maintain standard hygenic precautionary measures as established by the university Ebola Surveillance Committee.”

The vice-chancellor said that the student who was still in Lagos would resume soon and nobody would stigmatise her.

The Punch.

When China expelled Nigerian Athletes from the Junior Athletics Games in China recently there was a huge outcry from Nigerians, because we thought it was unjust for them to have done that. Yet, here we are doing the same thing. We need to treat citizens of other countries, just the way we would want other countries to treat ours. I don't think this is the right way to handle an issue like this. Why should the students be punished for what they have no control over? The university should rather ask them to resume with a medical report certifying that they are Ebola-free. They can even be quarantined for a short period during which the university would conduct confirmation tests at its own facility to verify the Ebola-status of each of these students.

When the "educated" are acting in a benighted manner, it underscores the triumph of mindless prejudice over reason.

since1914: When China expelled Nigerian Athletes from the Junior Athletics Games in China recently there was a huge outcry from Nigerians, because we thought it was unjust for them to have done that. Yet, here we are doing the same thing. We need to treat citizens of other countries, just the way we would want other countries to treat ours. I don't think this is the right way to handle an issue like this. Why should the students be punished for what they have no control over? The university should rather ask them to resume with a medical report certifying that they are Ebola-free. They can even be quarantined for a short period during which the university would conduct confirmation tests at its own facility to verify the Ebola-status of each of these students.

i disagree wit you

with the way Sawyer conducted himself, he showed he was some kind of agent to distribute ebola. Do we know how many more Sawyer-like individuals are still in Liberia? Do u know if their health ministry is not already infiltrated? If so, an ebola carrier can be given an ebola-free medical report.
If OAU decides to screen them when they arrive, do you know how many innocent pple the students would have met and given ebola to eb4 dey arrive at the campus?

Very stupid decision. Imagine UK or other countries should ban Nigerian students because of Ebola, how would you feel?

Haba...prof.Omole! A diplomat of ur level. Anyways,wnt I tink shld b done is put necessary measures on ground to verify the status of these students @ d point of entering into d country. Na Naija wey no advance sha. All den 4 do na to,contact dz students and let dem inform d schl wen exactly dey will b returning 2 schl and den proper screening can b done. Let's hlp 2 save more ppl dan expose dem 2 d disease.

Foxflames: Very stupid decision. Imagine UK or other countries should ban Nigerian students because of Ebola, how would you feel?

It was suggested in the UK Daily Mail that students coming from West Africa to start the new academic year should be stopped. Had the decision makers allowed the mindless panic to dictate their decisions, many Nigerians would have been unable to start studies or otherwise visit the UK. Yet, here we are succumbing to panic.