EBOLA ALERT! PLEASE DON'T FORGET YOUR HAND SANITIZER

Fellow Nigerians, It is to the glory of God that I announce to you that we are finally free from the scourge of Ebola. But I enjoin you to continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in neighbouring West African countries who are still fighting the epidemic. The truth is if they are not free then we are not completely free.

I would also want to remember in a special way all the men and women who sacrificed their lives to keep us safe. May their deaths never ever be in vain.

One of the key actors in the Ebola episode was the “hand sanitizer”. Overnight, this largely overlooked hand antiseptic agent became a national treasure. This was fundamentally due to the fact that it was hailed as the sole resistance to Ebola after salt and warm water solution failed to convince Nigerians beyond reasonable doubt.

The introduction of the hand sanitizer into the daily lives of average Nigerians was a welcome idea safe for the fact that its value was misplaced. To be fair to hand sanitizer, it was unjustly overrated. So, instead of using it for the primary purpose it was meant for which is to keep the hands clean, Nigerians abused it. I even heard some people applied it on their body as lotion or in their bath water as disinfectant.

I was indifferent about getting the hand sanitizer simply because I was fed up with the whole the drama. Well, someone cared enough to get me one as a gift. I don’t usually get gifts when it’s not my birthday, so I figured she was also doing it to help herself since we worked in the same office and she was a primary contact.

Somehow, I kept forgetting my Hand Sanitizer at home before leaving for work and my colleague didn’t find this funny. So we devised a means to always remind me. We both agreed that she would send me a reminder every morning at 6.am which always read “Good morning. Please don’t forget your hand sanitizer”. I would get this SMS every morning for the next couple of weeks. And then it stopped coming.

I received the news of Nigeria being free from Ebola with joy but little did I expect that we would all abandon the hand sanitizer that helped us get through the trying period the way we did. It got me wondering if it was more honourable for us to fight against Ebola than to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a people. 

According to research, the hand sanitizer kills most bacteria, fungi and helps fight viruses that we would easily contact if our hands are not clean. Washing our hands frequently with soap and water or with the use of a sanitizer is the most important way to prevent dangerous diseases. 

Fellow Nigerians, Ebola has come and gone (hopefully) but it is not enough reason for us to neglect our personal hygiene. Let us keep Nigeria free from all diseases and please don't forget your hand sanitizer.