Army’s medical test stirs tension in Anambra schools

Army’s medical test stirs tension in Anambra schools

An unusual panic gripped Anambra yesterday following general misinformation over a medical outreach project being undertaken by the Nigeria Army in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area. Parents were tensed by social media messages which lead to frenzied withdrawal of pupils from schools across the state. 

The message was that soldiers were moving around Anambra schools and forcefully inoculating pupils, but a quick reaction by the state government saved the day from turning rowdy. Secretary to the State Government, Solo Chukwulobelu, who spoke live on radio, said it was a routine army community-relations medical exercise, which the actual motive was misconstrued by some members of the host community. 

 It was learnt that the army neither gave earlier information of the project to the state government nor the host communities led to the wrong perception of the goodwill overture by stakeholders, school  and general reservation by the public for whom the outreach was intended Prof. Chwukwulobelu, revealed that the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano has advised the Army authorities to stop the medical outreach, “until wide sensitization is conducted to reassure people of its intentions and benefits, the exercise has therefore been put on hold.” 

The state government through the Secretary to the state government, Solo Chukwulobelu in a swift reaction to the development issued a statement urging Ndi Anambra and residents alike to disregard the rumour and go about their normal duties.

According to Prof. Chukwulobelu, “The state has been made to understand that the exercise is part of army social responsibility to member of the public.”

He emphasised that the exercise has no ill motive and therefore does not call for panic and enjoined the people to go about their duties and remain calm while schools remain open for normal academic exercises.

Chukwulobelu condemns skewed rhetoric on social media that misrepresented the situation with falsehood as well as insinuations of spread of disease and death of pupils in schools because of the exercise.

 The state, “he said, categorically refutes this rhetoric and confirms that there is no death of any student anywhere in the state. Mischief-makers are warned to desist from spreading the falsehood rumour, Anambra remains calm and peaceful.”    

The SSG, urged parents and guardians to stop withdrawing their children and wards from schools as the situation has been handled, saying all schools within the state will remain open as there is no cause for alarm. He reassured community leaders, and all stakeholders of the commitment of the governor and the state government to the well-being of ndi Anambra. 

Meanwhile, a statement released by 82 Division Nigeria Army, Enugu, and endorsed by forces Deputy Director Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, stated thus: “the Army’s attention  has been drawn to a silly and mischievous publication now trending on the social media alleging that the ongoing ‘Exercise Egwu Eke II Free Medical Outreach’ services giving to some communities in the South Eastern Region of Nigeria is harmful to people with sinister motive of depopulating the region through the so called “Monkey Pox Vaccination."

“The Division he stated, “wishes to make it clear that the free medical outreach was not intended to infect Monkey Pox or any major contemporary or emerging diseases in Nigeria to the people of South East or any part of the country. The exercise is part of the corporate social responsibility initiatives imbued in the overall Exercise of Egwu Eke II package to the people of the South Eastern  Region which is the area of reasonability of the 82 Division NA and is also the theatre of the exercise.”