President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, described the late
American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer’s visit that heralded the entry of the
dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, into the country, as “pure madness.”.
The President, who spoke publicly for the first time since
the outbreak of the disease in the country, expressed disappointment with the
way and manner the late Sawyer brought Ebola to Nigeria.
He was said to be under surveillance in Liberia for a
suspected case of the Ebola Virus Disease, but evaded authorities in Monrovia
and tragically boarded a plane for Lagos in Nigeria, via Lome in Togo and Accra
in Ghana.
His intention, according to reports was to connect to
Calabar in Nigeria to attend a two-day retreat organized by the ECOWAS
Commission, and later the same week to Atlanta, Georgia in the USA to celebrate
his daughter’s birthday.
Speaking at the Annual Interfaith Conference in Abuja,
President Jonathan, however, assured citizens that the Federal Government was
ready to stop the spread of the Ebola virus.
“It is unfortunate that one mad man brought Ebola to us, but
we have to contain it. As a government, we promise that we will do everything
humanly possible to contain the Ebola virus.”
“On Wednesday, I will
meet with governors of the states, and they must come with their commissioners
for health. We must make sure that every state is prepared. Where they lack,
the Federal Government will support them.”
He assured that his discussion with the head of the World
Health Organisation, WHO, had given him more information about the virus,
assuring the gathering that the virus will be stopped from causing more harm.
“My conversation with the WHO D-G, Dr Margaret Chan was
revealing. She said 60 per cent of the transmission was spread during burials.
That is why in my announcement; I’ve been saying that people should be careful
about burials.
“Some people like burial ceremonies. This is not the time
for burial ceremony, somebody is dead, he is dead, leave him there. This is not
the best time for those ceremonies.
“If he is dead, he is already dead, Sawyer that brought this
Ebola to Nigeria; his sister died of Ebola, and he started acting somehow, his
country asked him not to leave the country, let them observe him, but the crazy
man decided to leave and found his way here.”
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