TheCable

As the annual Osun-Osogbo festival commences, Osun state government has warned pilgrims against seeking the cure for Ebola in the Osun river, which is believed in some quarters to have the potency for curing different ailment.

Based on the belief that the river has healing and fertility powers, people from different states besiege it during the festival.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, Mr. Bola Ilori, the special adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on environment, urged people not to visit the river for that purpose.

“Since it has been established that the infectious Ebola disease can be spread through body contact or exchange of body fluids, it becomes important to guard against an outbreak in Osun,” he said.

“The government of Osun has expressed the wish to restrict foreigners from attending this year’s Osun Osogbo festival; it is not out of hatred but to stop the spread of the virus.”

Consequent on the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the West African sub-region, the UN promptly directed member states to quarantine suspected or known patients of the disease in order to check its spread.

Earlier, Mr. Rauf Isamotu, Aregbesola’s aide on health, said that in line with the federal government’s directive to prevent the spread of Ebola, four hospitals had been specially designated for the management of the disease.