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By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU-THERE was pandemonium in Enugu on Wednesday over a rumour which widely circulated throughout the city that the Nigerian Army was helping health workers to forcefully administer Monkey Pox causing vaccines to school children in one of the schools in the city.
This almost led to stampede in some of the schools as parents made frantic efforts to withdraw their wards from schools to the dreaded decease and a possible death.
It was gathered that parents of the students who heard what happened in Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra State rushed to the school to bring home their children to avoid being forcefully immunized.
However, according to the Head Mistress of Women Technical College, WTC, Independence Layout, Enugu, Mrs Cordelia Ugwu, where the purported immunization took place, there was nothing like immunization in the School.
Mrs Ugwu who said that they were afraid when they saw a young man wearing what looked like an Army Uniform at the school gate making calls, pointed out that after few minutes, parents trooped into the school and requested for the release of their children saying that immunization was not by force.
Also reacting to the incidence, the principal of Urban Girls Secondary school, Princess Okonkwo G.U, said that she could not stop the students from running off from school once the rumor filtered in from a nearby primary school.
According to her, parents of the students thronged her school gate threatening to pull down the gate if their wards were not released to them. She stated that it was impossible to withhold the children once parents were almost violent and the students already agitated.
She revealed that parents who bombarded her phone line with calls told her that they were reacting to the medical outreach carried out by the Nigerian Army in Anambra State.
Principals and headmistresses of schools visited were however unanimous in saying that there was no immunization in their schools. They stated that if such was the case, schools in the state will be formally communicated.
One of the Private Nursery/Primary Schools, Garden Angel at Edinburgh Street Enugu when visited restricted parents from entering the school premises.
The proprietor, who claimed anonymity, said that the proprietors in Enugu State had meetings in anticipation that such would happen.
Nigeria Army spokesman, Col, Musa, Sagir when contacted, condemned the rumour, saying that there was no time Nigeria Army was involved in any immunization in Enugu State.
