Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has cautioned the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) over its decision to pay N100,000 weekly to people placed under isolation following a confirmed Ebola case in Abuja.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, had announced on Sunday that 53 contacts linked to the confirmed case would receive the allowance to cover feeding, accommodation and family support during the 21-day monitoring period.
Reacting to the announcement in a post on his verified X handle on Monday, Sani warned that the financial support could encourage some people to falsely claim they had been exposed to the virus to benefit from the payment.
He urged the agency to ensure proper verification of contacts before disbursing the funds to prevent abuse of the emergency support programme.
“The NCDC reportedly said they will give 100k weekly to anyone they keep in isolation over the Ebola virus.
“They should be careful because some people can come forward and claim they have the virus because of the 100k,” Sani wrote.
The former lawmaker’s comments came as health authorities continued monitoring people identified as primary contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case.
The 53 contacts reportedly include healthcare workers and household members who may have been exposed to the infected person.
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The NCDC introduced the weekly allowance to help people comply with isolation and monitoring requirements without struggling to meet essential living expenses during the 21-day period.
The agency’s response includes monitoring potentially exposed individuals and taking measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Ebola is a serious infectious disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or contaminated materials.
