The social and traditional media has been awash with the illegal, unauthorized and intrusive action of the Federal Fire Service of Nigeria in the carrying out of the fumigation of the Ekiti State School of Health Technology, Ijero Ekiti. As reported, over 100 students collapsed while 2 have allegedly died from the unfortunate incident.
When Agencies of Government begin to take up duties they aren't trained for and saddled with, incidences such as above cannot but arise.
According to all extant laws and conventions in Nigeria, the only group of professionals that are saddled with fumigation and decontamination of premises against PESTS and MICROBS of public health importance are the Environmental Health Officers.
It is quite unfortunate that the loss of lives of young students will be the price we pay for crossing boundaries of professionalism and ego. With the level of fire incidences across the Nation that the Fire Service still battles with I don't understand why they have to dabble into areas where they have little knowledge of and are not empowered by law and decency.
With this unfortunate incident that has caused great anxiety to the families of these young students and embarrassment this has caused the State and our dear profession, the perpetrators, no matter their job and level of influence should be made to face the law and prosecuted adequately.
At this point, the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) that is saddled with regulating Environmental Health practice in Nigeria as well as the Federal Ministry of Environment should wield the full power of the law against quacks and quackery in Nigeria.
This will not only check further incursion by the misfit Federal Fire Service into this highly professional are but will also curb other quacks out there perpetrating evils yet unheard of and restore sanity in the Environmental Health space.
We must all come out in all our capacity to condemn this evil and support the profession at times like these so that our collective patrimony can be protected, sustained and positively promoted.
My two cents.
Femi Abolade
Femi Abolade is a Licensed EHO, Writer, Author, Teacher and Public Speaker.
+234 807 427 5257
femibolade12@gmail.com
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