President Goodluck Jonathan has described late Patrick Sawyer’s actions of coming into Nigeria especially, despite carrying the Ebola virus, as ‘crazy’.
Jonathan made the statement at the annual Interfaith Conference in Abuja.
The President, who expressed his disappointment with the way and manner Sawyer brought Ebola to Nigeria, however, assured citizens that government was ready to stop the spread of Ebola.
“As a government, we promise that we will do everything humanly possible to contain the Ebola virus”, Jonathan added.
He informed the gathering that the federal government planned to rally the 36 states governors and their Commissioners of Health to rescue the nation from further spread of the disease.
“On Wednesday, I will meet with governor of the states, and they must come with their commissioners of Health along. We must make sure that every state is prepared, where they lack, the federal government will support them”.
On his discussion with the head of WHO on how the spread of the virus can be stopped, he said: “My conversation with the WHO DG, Dr Margaret Chan was revealing; she said 60 percent 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”.
Meanwhile, the federal government, Monday, said one new case was recorded over the weekend, bringing the number to 10 now.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu stated this Monday in a press conference on the update of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Chukwu said: “It has been 22 days since EVD first landed in Nigeria. As at today, 177 primary and secondary contacts of the index case have been placed under surveillance or isolation. Nine developed EVD, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 10. Of these 10, 2 have died (the Liberian American and the Nigerian nurse) while 8 are alive and currently on treatment”.
The minister, along Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, Interior Minister, Abba Moro, Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki and Minister of Information, Labaran Maku stated that “Nigeria wishes to emphasize that it essentially remained an Ebola Virus free country until this incidence of importation and unfortunate contamination.
“We will continue to work with all stakeholders, local and international partners to maximize on this and intensify efforts to contain and treat the existing cases”.
Commenting on efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the West African sub-region, Chukwu said government’s role at the recent meeting in Accra, Ghana projected Nigeria’s “leading, pioneering and compassionate role during the summit with the first and only donation of 3.5 Million USD humanitarian and capacity building aid to the three affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the West African Health Organization (WAHO), and the ECOWAS Ebola Fund.
Comments