Ghana Dismisses Boko Haram Ebola Chalk Contamination in Schools

Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has moved quickly to dismiss rumors making rounds on Social Media that Boko Haram has succeeded in contaminating chalks used in Ghana with the Ebola virus. Over the weekend in Ghana, fears went high when rumors appeared on Social Media that Nigeria’s militant group, Boko Haram has contaminated chalks for writing in schools with the deadly Ebola Virus to punish Ghana for involving in the multi-national task force set up by West African leaders to fight them. The rumor quoted its source from the FDA. The FDA is Ghana’s public body which is responsible for checking foods and drugs standards before it is sold to the public. It has nothing to do with chalks used in writing in schools and it is unclear why the circulators of the hoax message linked it to the FDA. The rumor added that two teachers have so far died after coming into contact with the contaminated chalks supplied by Boko Haram.

Regional leaders in West Africa have approved a joint military force to fight Boko Haram. Ghana is playing a lead role in the mobilization of the team. Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Food Safety Division at the FDA, John Odame-Darkwah said in a statement that the rumor being peddled by some unidentified unscrupulous people is absolutely false and is only meant to create public fear and panic. He appealed to the Ghanaian public to disregard the information and go about their normal routines. Mr Odame-Darkwah explained that the FDA has notified the security agencies to investigate the source of such misleading information, advising the public to desist from circulating such information which is capable of causing intense fear especially among schoolchildren in the country. “The public may visit the FDA website, www.fdaghana.gov.gh to verify the source of any circulation purported to be originating from the FDA,” he said.

Independent security experts said last month that some Boko Haram fighters might have been on Ghana’s soil. And the Ghanaian Interior Ministry responded that the country is ready to combat any surprise attack by the group in any part of the country. The United States intelligence report on Boko Haram in May 2014 said there is no indication of the group in Ghana but did warned the Ghanaian security services not to be complacent. Boko Haram six-year insurgency has intensified this year. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said Boko Haram killed more than 4,000 civilians last year. Boko Haram is a Hausa language which translates to mean "Western education is forbidden" and it sees schools and colleges as a symbol of Western culture. It has vowed to eradicate such institutions and create an Islamic state in the north of the country.