More On Patrick Sawyer! He Deceived Us, ECOWAS To Travel To Nigeria- Liberia Minister

Patrick Sawyer, the late Liberian-American, who brought the deadly Ebola virus to Nigeria, deceived and manipulated the Liberian government and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to enable him travel to Nigeria, an official, who admitted approving Mr. Sawyer’s travel, has said.

Sebastian Muah, who until recently was the Liberian Deputy Minister of Finance for Fiscal Affairs, said in an email to Premium Times that the late Mr. Sawyer deceived the Liberian government into believing that he was “Ebola Free’.

Mr. Muah was responding to this newspaper’s exclusive report on Tuesday indicating that he, on behalf of the Liberian government, cleared Mr. Sawyer to head to Nigeria even when the administration knew he was under observation for Ebola. In his response, the former minister said Mr. Sawyer told his ministry that he had no contact with his younger sister who died of the disease on July 8 and that he had voluntarily subjected himself for testing which showed he was free of Ebola. Mr. Muah said even to secure employment as a Liberian Government official, a position that qualified him for the trip, Mr. Sawyer lied that he had quit his employment as Public Health Manager of ArcelorMittal, an iron ore mining company in the country.

The former minister said Mr. Sawyer told the same lies to ECOWAS, and at a point, sidestepped the Liberian Minister of Finance, dealing directly with ECOWAS on matters concerning the trip. On the whole, Mr. Muah blamed the slip that enabled Mr. Sawyer to travel to Nigeria on a “broken system of communication” within the Liberian bureaucracy.

Ebola: NYSC Suspends Orientation In 6 States

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced the suspension of scheduled stream two orientation programme of the 2014 Batch ‘B’ Orientation in six states billed to start on Monday, September 1st due to the dreaded Ebola disease in the country.

Brig Gen Johnson Olawumi, the Director General of the NYSC, who announced the decision in Kubwa Orientation Camp in the Federal Capital Territory, said the corps members deployed to Adamawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe States will be affected by the directive.

Corps members posted to Adamawa State will have their orientation programme in Niger; Bauchi corps members are expected to resume in Plateau State, while those posted to Borno State are to go to Nasarawa State camp. Other affected states are Gombe, where corps members are expected to serve in Benue, with Jigawa State corps members expected to have their orientation programme in Kaduna, while corps members posted to Yobe State are expected to resume at the Federal Capital Territory Orientation camp.

Mystery: £20,000 Cash Is Withdrawn From Accounts Of 4 Passengers On Missing MH370 Flight

Five months after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, it's now being reported that, more than £20,000 has been withdrawn from bank accounts of four passengers aboard the missing flight.
The mysterious withdrawals were reported by a bank in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 18. The Assistant Commissioner to the crime investigation department Izany Abdul Ghany told the mirror..

'We are investigating the case as unauthorised access with intent to commit an offence,We are getting CCTV footage from the bank to identify the suspects involved.' the transactions were made on July 18 when money from the accounts of three passengers was transferred to the account of a fourth passenger before it was removed.

My Mates Were Carrying Designer Bags And Taking Vacations, I wasn't- Mercy Johnson

Mercy Johnson opened up on success and what it takes to get there.She told City People ‘’Success is hard, it’s never easy. It takes more than luck to make the right decisions and the right choices.
A lot of people have actually been acting before me, but they are just nowhere close. It’s not because I am better, it’s grace; but, really, success is hard. It takes a lot of hard work. At the point when my mates were carrying designer bags, I didn’t know what designer bags were.
At the point at which they were wearing Brazilian hair, I didn’t know what Brazilian hair was. I was kind of laid-back. I was a step or two behind, because I was working so hard. I didn’t take vacations; I didn’t have time for all of that. I just wanted to be on location, so I could sell what I had.
I wanted people to see what I could do. So, [at] every point in time, I was busy. I was so excited to work at every time. So, it’s like success is hard. You really have to work hard; you really have to sweat to achieve what you want."

Patrick Sawyer Was An Evil Man On A Mission- Femi Fani Kayode

Former minister Femi Fani Kayode took to his Facebook page today to share his thoughts on late Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought the deadly Ebola virus to Nigeria. The disease has so far killed three people Sawyer came in contact with. Fani-Kayode says Sawyer was an evil man with a mission to spread the virus in Nigeria and kill as many people as possible. See what he posted below..
"I disagree with those who have described Patrick Sawyer as a madman. He was not mad at all but just evil. He was a man that was on a mission. That mission was to spread the ebola virus to Nigeria and to infect and kill as many people as possible with it. He was an evil man with an evil intention and purpose. Worst still he was not working alone. Some people, and I mean rich, powerful and well-connected people, were working with him. As a matter of fact they sent him on the mission. Continue...

They cultivated him, took care of him, paid him, brainwashed him, gave him all that he wanted in life and finally asked him to go on a suicide mission to destroy the lives of others and spread the deadly disease. This was a clear case of bio-terrorism and Sawyer was simply a pawn in a bigger game and a wider picture. The motive of those who sent him was to spread fear and panic, to kill as many people as possible, to create a need for a solution to the problem, to prepare the ground for a new wonder drug that could cure Ebola, to create a massive market for that drug and to ensure that there would be massive profits from it's sale.

As usual it is the unbelieving, unprepared, undiscerning and naive Africans that have been used as the prime guinea pigs. When will they stop destroying us and treating us with such contempt? When will they begin to see and treat us as human beings?".

Ebola: Baby Suspected To Have Virus In Kwara

 The Kwara State Chairman of the Ebola Viral control Committee ,Prof. Sunday Opabola told reporters that the first suspected case in the state is a seven-month old baby who had come with his parents from Ibadan for a visit at Ilorin after one of those taking care of him had returned to Ibadan from Lagos.

The baby has been isolated and samples taken to Lagos for testing. He said By 9 am yesterday, I was called to the ministry of health that a proprietor of a private hospital who is a pediatrician reported a suspected case on admission in his hospital. The suspected patient is a seven-month old child that came to Ilorin with the mother and she came out with suspicion of malaria and was admitted at Surulere clinic and they started treating him for malaria, that is on the 10th of this month, four days ago.
After managing him for two days, there was no improvement, he was referred to a pediatrician. “After clinical assessment, he apparently saw some symptoms that look like Ebola. These symptoms basically fever, diarrhea, vomiting that were being taken care of before in other hospitals but he now saw that this vomiting consists of blood and that was where he made a report.

“Now if it were not in this situation we are, I am sure he couldn’t have made any report because some other diseases could have presented these same symptoms, even malaria in children would present something like. Other viral infections, viral hemorrhagic diseases would present like this, Lassa fever and so on, even cholera can present like this but because in this situation we have been at alert and we don’t want to take chances."

Boko Haram Abducts 100 Young Men In Borno As Military Intercepts Mass Movement Of Youths

Boko Haram have abducted 100 young men in Doron Baga, a village in Borno State during an attack on the village on Sunday August 10th.

According to a resident of the village, Halima Alhaji Adamu who spoke with journalists, she said the sect men killed at least 10 people and abducted 100 young boys and men during the attack... "The attack was on Sunday, in my family they killed six people, I don’t know about the other families but the Hadaijawa community which I belong also had 100 of the men abducted by the insurgents.” she said.

Halima also revealed that she lost her husband during the attack. Continue... Meanwhile the Nigerian military said they intercepted a mass movement of about 51 youths from Maiduguri to Abuja at about 3am yesterday Wednesday night.

According to a statement by the Defence Headquarters, the youths, all packed in three 18-seater buses where traveling in company of a woman who said she was moving them to Abuja on the orders of the Borno state Government.

Press statement from the Defence Headquaters below Officers of the Special Task Force are currently trying to unravel the motive for the movement of some youths from Maiduguri heading to Abuja at about 3am when they were accosted in Plateau State on Wednesday.  Numbering about 51, the youths were under the guidance of a lady as they were being conveyed in 3  eighteen-seater mass transit buses when they were intercepted along Babale in Plateau state as they journeyed from Maiduguri to Abuja in the night.

During the interrogation that followed, they claimed they were being conveyed to Abuja on the directives of a  Borno State Government official to meet their relatives for assistance in an economic empowerment programme.  The official is yet to respond to series of efforts to verify the claims. The issue is being investigated to ascertain the genuine mission of such a team of young persons moving in the night more so as they have made contradictory statements as to the sponsorship of their mission to Abuja.   The movement is being assessed in the light of the security situation and the suspicious claims of the youths.

Ebola: Victims Quarantined Lack Care-Relations

Relations of those who have been quarantined at the Lagos Ebola centre have said the victims are not adequately taken care of.

While speaking with Premium Times today, one of the relations that do not want his name published so that his relation won’t be victimized said, they go as far as buying antiseptic liquid and toiletries for them to make use of. He said a lot that would shock you. I know the State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola has visited this place and even said the victims are well taken care of, and for so many reasons I believe him and know he would never allow any family member to buy things as cheap as toiletries for their relations to make use of especially at this critical time. So when I saw the story I decided to bring it here, so that the Governor can read and investigate.

Below is what the relation told Premium Times;

“Lagos State government said they are taking care of the Ebola patients. But you need to visit where they are. When you do you would find out that the place is a rundown infrastructure. It doesn’t have a decent toilet. Some of them are there getting malaria. How can you be treating one sickness and getting another? Family members are having to buy things like toiletries, detergents. We are buying bleach for them to wash hands. “They’ve been kept in one ward and share the same toilet. What happens to WHO standard that says each patient should be separated from the other? If people know that the government is doing this I don’t think anybody would want to come down here to quarantine them.

Government says some of them are recovering, why is it that those recovering are in the same room with everybody who is sick?” he asked. He questioned what the money released for the treatment by the government is being used for when the facility and patients lack all basic essentials. “Government says they are releasing money. Very soon we would here that they spend so much billions during Ebola crisis but we are here and there is nothing on ground.”

Last Friday, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media, Reuben Abati, said the President has ordered the immediate release of N1.9 billion “to execute a special intervention plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak.” The relative said though the patients were separated according to sex on Thursday, the facilities in the new wards are nothing better than the old ward. “You would expect that having used an emergency place that was dilapidated when using a new infrastructure it would be uptight and everything would be there but now again it’s going to be another big room and there is everybody there. When you wake up in the morning and somebody sitting beside you died, who would that help them to recover?

“They are seeing people they used to know dying left, right, and centre, someone died today and he died in the presence of other people and you expect them to recover? Someone should throw light about this so that government can wake up and discover how things are done. I read countless articles in the paper that everything is fine. Nothing is fine.” 

Another Nurse Who Had Contact With Sawyer Dies Of Ebola

Another nurse, 35year old Justina Obi Ejelonu, (pictured above) who attended to late Liberian Patrick Sawyer while he was ill at the First Consultant hospital in Lagos, has died.

According to Sahara reporters, her relatives called to inform them of her demise in the early hours of today. Ms. Ejelonu had been kept in a quarantine facility in Lagos and was very vocal in the campaign for the release of the ZMapp experimental drug to Nigerian Ebola disease patients. 

Justina was quarantined at the B Ward, a male ward which is now referred to as the Ebola Ward of the Yaba Mainland General Hospital. May her soul rest in peace.

Ebola: Sawyer Deserve To Rot In Hell- Presidency

As the authorities continue to fashion out modalities on how to deal with the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country, the Presidency has tagged the Liberian, Mr Patrick Sawyer, credited with the importation of the virus into Nigeria “a terrorist”; re-echoeing the feeling of many Nigerians who have not forgiven him for knowingly introducing the killer disease.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youths and Students, Mr Jude Imagwe made this assertion Tuesday night in Abuja during the 3rd Nigerian Youth Democracy Dinner to mark the international Day of the Youth with the theme: “Youth and Mental Health”.

Imagwe who could not hide his anger at the development, said that Sawyer’s misguided action has brought pains and hardship upon Nigerians. Not able to come to terms with the motive behind the late Liberian-American’s action for knowingly bringing the dreaded Ebola to torment Nigerians, the Presidential aid said “such a man deserves to rot in hell”. He said:

“Patrick Sawyer has brought pain and hardship to Nigerians. So many things have now changed because he brought this upon us. Even in churches, we are not free to shake hands or greet anymore”.  

Army Battle To Retake Gwoza As Boko Haram Kills 20, Kidnap Women

Nigerian troops have massed around Gwoza to retake the town from members of the Islamist group, Boko Haram, military sources have disclosed. The battle for control of Gwoza rages as reports emerged that Boko Haram insurgents yesterday killed 20 people in Doro Baga in Kukawa local government area of Borno State.

The residents of the embattled village also disclosed that the militants kidnapped several women in an early morning raid. Continue...

One military source in Abuja told SaharaReporters that the soldiers on the mission to recapture the town were drafted from Maiduguri and Mubi in Adamawa State. The officer added that special Army and Air Force units had been pounding Boko Haram positions since yesterday. “Over 1000 soldiers are involved in this operation to take Gwoza back from Boko Haram,” said the officer, adding that the troop commanders were confident of dislodging the insurgents in a matter of hours or days.

A resident of Bama, which is 35 miles from Gwoza, told SaharaReporters that he had observed a large contingent of troops moving towards Gwoza in the last 24 hours. He also stated that he had heard gunfire overnight. Boko Haram insurgents overran Gwoza last week, killing at least 100 residents, including the wife of the town’s emir, his brother, and the chief Imam of Gwoza. Shortly after taking over Gwoza, Boko Haram militants repelled a column of soldiers that came from Bama to chase them away, inflicting a significant casualty on the troops. Two days later, a group of soldiers from the 234 Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel Agu had to abandon Gwoza when Boko Haram fighters overwhelmed them. In that battle, the Islamist militants captured one military tank and its driver. They also burnt two other tanks.

Some of the soldiers who spoke anonymously to SaharaReporters said the lack of communication equipment inside the tanks was responsible for the costly tactical errors in the earlier Gwoza operation. “The front tank suddenly turned back when its weaponry malfunctioned,” said one soldier. He added that, unable to figure out the reason for the sudden turn around, the troops took to their heels instead of positioning the three other tanks behind to engage the militants.

Officials at Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters in Abuja have declined to speak officially about the latest battle, but a military source in Abuja anonymously confirmed that the military had started waging a wide range of operational activities aimed at driving Boko Haram militants out of Gwoza.

Culled from Sahara Reporters

Chris Brown Pictured In court For Probation Hearing

  25 year old Grammy-winning R&B singer Chris Brown has got this look that always melts hearts. Chris was in court in L.A. yesterday for a progress report on his probation and he was pictured looking like this. 

  Thankfully, his results were glowing too. All his random drug tests were negative and he attended bi-weekly therapy sessions. For that, Judge James Brandlin reduced his drug test requirement from three times to twice a week.

The probation department had asked that Chris's community labour requirement be bumped from three days a week to four, but Brandlin denied the request. Scroll down to see more photos..

    Photos: JustJared.com

Ebola: Nurse Who Escaped To Enugu Has Returned

  Nigerian Minister for Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has confirmed that the Lagos nurse who travelled to Enugu against medical advice is now back in Lagos and is under quarantine with her husband.

The nurse, who had contact with Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer, caused a stir on Wednesday when it was discovered that she had travelled to Enugu and had contact with at least 21 people during her unauthorized trip to the Southeastern city. However, Chukwu says the nurse has so far not developed the symptoms as of the time of her trip.

“In Enugu yesterday, there were 21 secondary contacts with the nurse. But after investigations, there are only 6 secondary contacts now”, he said in Abuja on Thursday. The nurse who is newly wedded had no symptoms of the disease when she travelled to Enugu, was transported back to Lagos   in a special ambulance with her husband.
Her husband is under quarantine now”.

Chukwu also confirmed that a Nigerian in the Diaspora was sending an experimental drug for Ebola treatment, and the drug, whose name is ‘Nanosilver’, would arrive in Nigeria today.

“The experimental drug is a donation from a Nigerian scientist in Diaspora who was concerned about threat of Ebola in his home country. The drug will reach Nigeria today”, he said. On updates on Ebola cases in Nigeria, he said some of the 169 secondary contacts of Sawyer were no longer under surveillance and had been released, having completed the 21 days of incubation period. -

Sahara Reporters

Ebola: Why Patrick Sawyer Travelled To Nigeria-Wife

The widow of late Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought Ebola into Nigeria, has defended her husband’s decision to travel to Africa’s most populous country, saying he did so in desperate search for a country with better healthcare system than his own country.

In an article published earlier today, TMZ Liberia Magazine quoted Decontee Sawyer, who is a radio host in New York, as explaining that Mr. Sawyer had no trust in the healthcare system in Liberia and had possibly headed to Nigeria with the hope of receiving better treatment for his ailment.

Mrs. Sawyer shared her thoughts on her Facebook profile from which TMZ Liberia sourced it for publication. “I’ve read other reports in other papers (not the New York Times) about Patrick’s “recklessness.” I get where they’re coming from, and they certainly have the right to feel the way they do. However, as Patrick’s widow, I would like to shed some light on this from another perspective. One that only I, his wife, would know,” she wrote. “I knew Patrick better than anybody else (including himself). He had told me many times in the past how much he didn’t trust the Liberian healthcare system.

He would tell me about how a person would get checked in for one thing, and get misdiagnosed and get the wrong treatment as a result. On top of that, Patrick was a clean freak, and told me how filthy a lot of the hospitals were. “He didn’t tell me this, but I know in my heart of hearts that Patrick was determined to get to Nigeria by all means because he felt that Nigeria would be a place of refuge. He has expressed to me many times in the past that he felt passionately about helping to be a part of strengthening Liberia’s healthcare system, but he knew it wasn’t there yet, and he wouldn’t want to take a chance with his life because a lot of people depended on him… Patrick had a passion for life, and he wouldn’t have wanted his to end. So, I bet anything that he was thinking, if I could only get to Nigeria, a way more developed country than Liberia, I would be able to get some help. How ironic.” Many Nigerians, and even Liberians, condemned Mr Sawyer for traveling to Nigeria despite knowing that he was carrying Ebola virus before embarking on the trip.

Some Nigerians on social media have described him as a “biological terrorist” arguing that he came into the country deliberately to spread the disease. On Monday in Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan described Mr Sawyer’s decision to travel to Nigeria as pure “madness” and “craziness.” “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,” President Jonathan said. In her post, Mrs. Sawyer wrote that the fact that her husband avoided contact with others at the James Sprigg Payne’s Airport in Monrovia as revealed by airport CCTV footage proved he didn’t set out to infect others with the disease and perhaps his actions were that of a dying man in desperate search for help. “It has been reported that Patrick avoided physical contact with everyone he came across during his trip from Liberia to Nigeria. When he got to Nigeria, he turned himself in letting them know that he had just flown in from Liberia.

“Patrick went to Nigeria for help so that he can get properly diagnosed, and not misdiagnosed in Liberia. And if it came back that he did have Ebola, he trusted the Nigerian healthcare system a lot more than he trusted the Liberian’s. His action, as off as it was, was a desperate plea for help. Patrick didn’t want to die, and he thought his life would be saved in Nigeria.” Mrs. Sawyer then took a swipe at the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who said Mr Sawyer was indiscipline and disrespectful for failing to heed medical advise not to travel. Mrs Sawyer said if President Johnson-Sirleaf had fixed the healthcare system in Liberia, her husband would not have left in search of treatment elsewhere. “I write today, not simply because of Patrick, but because of the broken healthcare system in the Liberia, and the government’s inability under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (and other past Presidents) to fix it. Good doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers aren’t given the support they need to save lives.

“President Sirleaf went on CNN News throwing stones at Patrick, a man who can no longer defend himself, a man who worked tirelessly for Liberia. She should be ashamed of herself. I use to admire this woman, and was excited and proud of her accomplishment as the first woman President in the entire continent of Africa. She will always own that. We will always own that. It can’t be taken away from her. It’s something to be proud of. But this woman has failed her country,” she wrote. Nigeria was free of Ebola until July 20 when Mr. Sawyer arrived. He became terribly ill on his flight and was rushed to the First Consultant Hospital Obalende, Lagos, where he died on July 24. Nigeria’s Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said on Monday that although the Liberian government has apologized for the incidence, it was pertinent to note that Nigeria was free of Ebola Virus until its importation by the Liberian-American.

Mr. Sawyer’s action, he said, has placed unnecessary stress on Nigeria’s health system. Since Mr. Sawyer’s death in a Lagos hospital, two other persons who had contact with him have died of the virus. At least eight others have also tested positive to the infection and have been quarantined at a Lagos hospital.

President Goodluck Jonathan has since declared a national emergency on the disease while the federal health ministry in conjunction with health ministries in the 36 states are working to prevent the spread of the virus, which has killed over 1,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.  

Jonathan In Crucial Meeting With State Governors On Ebola

President Good luck Jonathan today, 13th August 2014 holds a crucial meeting  with state Governors on the recent Ebola outbreak in the country.This is important in order to prevent spread of the deadly virus which has claimed over 1,000 lives and still counting.

Nigeria Approves Use Of Experimental Drug, Zmapp,On Ebola Patients

The National Health Research Ethics Committee, Nigeria, has approved the use of an experimental Ebola drug, Zmapp, for treatment of patients infected with the virus. The committee, which composed research scientists, is a national body under the Federal Ministry of Health. The endorsement is contained in a statement issued to newsmen by Prof. Clement Adebamowo, Chairman of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja. Continue...

The decision by the committee is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s approval by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the use of Zmapp for treatment of Ebola patients. “It is ethical to use these treatments in the current situation without first submitting an application to National, State or Institutional Health Research Ethics Committee for prior review and approval. “In addition, the Committee waives the current requirement that international shipment of any biological samples out of Nigeria should be preceded by the establishment of a Materials Transfer Agreement. “This waiver is to promote rapid international response to this global emergency,’’ the statement said.

In the statement, the Nigerian National Code for Health Research Ethics emphasised that all innovative and non-validated treatments should be carefully and adequately documented. According to the statement, the documentation can form the basis for clinical trials of the efficacy and side effects of the treatment according to established scientific principles.

In the statement, the ethics committee enjoined all agencies, development partners and research scientists to follow the guideline for the rapid resolution of the current emergency. “The guideline will contribute to preparedness in case of future occurrences and contribution to scientific knowledge. “It must be noted that all Phase O and Phase I Clinical Trials that may subsequently be designed for treatment of this infection can be approved only by the National Health Research Ethics Committee,’’ it said. 

Source: NAN

Nigeria Aporoves Use Of Experimental Drug, Zmapp,On Ebola Patients

The National Health Research Ethics Committee, Nigeria, has approved the use of an experimental Ebola drug, Zmapp, for treatment of patients infected with the virus. The committee, which composed research scientists, is a national body under the Federal Ministry of Health. The endorsement is contained in a statement issued to newsmen by Prof. Clement Adebamowo, Chairman of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja. Continue...

The decision by the committee is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s approval by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the use of Zmapp for treatment of Ebola patients. “It is ethical to use these treatments in the current situation without first submitting an application to National, State or Institutional Health Research Ethics Committee for prior review and approval. “In addition, the Committee waives the current requirement that international shipment of any biological samples out of Nigeria should be preceded by the establishment of a Materials Transfer Agreement. “This waiver is to promote rapid international response to this global emergency,’’ the statement said.

In the statement, the Nigerian National Code for Health Research Ethics emphasised that all innovative and non-validated treatments should be carefully and adequately documented. According to the statement, the documentation can form the basis for clinical trials of the efficacy and side effects of the treatment according to established scientific principles.

In the statement, the ethics committee enjoined all agencies, development partners and research scientists to follow the guideline for the rapid resolution of the current emergency. “The guideline will contribute to preparedness in case of future occurrences and contribution to scientific knowledge. “It must be noted that all Phase O and Phase I Clinical Trials that may subsequently be designed for treatment of this infection can be approved only by the National Health Research Ethics Committee,’’ it said. 

Source: NAN

Jonathan's Aides Not Tested For Ebola in US-Reuben Abati

US Didn’t Test Jonathan’s Aides for Ebola - Reuben Abati This Is Laila's Blog / 5 hours ago   The Presidency on Sunday said no member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to the United States for the African/American Leaders Summit was screened for exposure to the dreaded Ebola virus on arrival at Washington DC. Jonathan and some top government officials arrived the US on Sunday for the summit billed for Monday (today).  Punch reports that President Barack Obama was quoted on Friday as saying that some African participants attending the summit would be screened for exposure to the dreaded virus which is currently ravaging some West African countries. Obama explained that the action would be taken to protect the US from the outbreak of the disease. He said: “Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.” Obama’s statement fuelled speculations that Jonathan and members of his entourage might be subjected to screening before they could be allowed into the country. But shortly after arriving the US, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed on his Twitter handle that no member of the President’s entourage was screened. Two African leaders had already said that they would not attend the meeting because of the outbreak of the Ebola disease in their countries. The leaders are the presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernest BaiKoroma, respectively. Visit website

Good News: 5 Ebola Patients Are Improving-Governor Fashola

A bright light has been shone into the darkness of the current Ebola outbreak as Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos has said that some of the patients are getting better.

Fashola disclosed this during a series of meetings with religious leaders, chairmen and health workers of the 57 local councils in the state. He said:

“We now have 10 persons in isolation that are receiving treatment. Eight of them have been confirmed positive for the Ebola Virus Disease. We are still waiting for the results of the remaining two persons. "All of them are stable, which means that they are not deteriorating. Five of them have really improved. This means they are fighting back.

It confirms that Ebola is not an automatic death sentence if we do the right thing at the right time” The number of cases officially on record in Nigeria has now reached 10 after the virus was brought into Lagos by Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.  ? 

Shocking Revelation: How Liberian Government Allowed Patrick Sawyer To Come To Nigeria With Ebola

According to a Premium Times report, the Liberian government was aware that Patrick Sawyer had probably contracted the Ebola virus, but he was cleared to travel anyway. Documents have been obtained to show that Mr. Sawyer’s employers, ArcelorMittal, had suspended him after discovering that he had come in contact with his sister who died of the disease.

The company also issued an internal memo to inform its employees of the development. It read:

“A family member of an ArcelorMittal Liberia employee died on Tuesday, July 8th, in Monrovia due to a confirmed case of the Ebola virus,” the July 11 edition of Satellite, an internal newsletter of ArcelorMittal Liberia, said. “The employee had minimal contact with the victim, at the state where the virus was infectious. “Doctors say the risk of potential transfer to any member of the ArcelorMittal staff or contractors is very low.

The employee has submitted to the Ministry of Health for a medical examination for possible Ebola infection, and has also requested the Ministry of Health to make the result available to ArcelorMittal Liberia and its close affiliates.

However, despite the fact that he was being observed for infection, the Liberian Government, through its Deputy Finance Minister For Fiscal Affairs, Sebastian Muah, cleared Mr. Sawyer to travel to Nigeria for an ECOWAS convention inCalabar.

Premium Times reports that the deputy minister personally admitted approving the trip in an online discussion forum, where some Liberian citizens raised questions about his action and competence.

This report directly contradicts previous claims that Sawyer escaped from quarantine. Mr. Sawyer was severely ill when he arrived Nigeria and he was rushed to the First Consultant Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. All current cases of Ebola in Nigeria have been linked to contact with the Liberian.

Ebola: Private Hospitals Rejects Patients With Fever Symptoms

Some private hospitals in Lagos yesterday Tuesday August 12th rejected treating patients who visited them with symptoms of fever as part of measures being taking to prevent contracting the Ebola virus.

  A visit by the News Agency of Nigeria to some hospitals in Lagos Metropolis showed that nurses and other health workers, including cleaners were seen wearing face mask and gloves while attending to patients. Continue...

  Also, some of the health facilities were compelling patients to wash their hands and apply sanitisers before proceeding into their building.  Some of the hospitals visited included Jaycee Hospital, Prime Hospital, Lifeline Children’s Hospital and Providence Hospital.  A Neurologist at Jaycee Hospital, Dr. Francis Ojini, told NAN that his hospital did not attend to patients who had with fever.  Ojini said that it became necessary as health workers were at greater risk of contracting the virus.  “Health workers are the first to be in contact with patients who visited the hospital and so it is necessary we take precautions. 

“For now, any illness that has to do with fever is not being attended to as we are trying to be careful because of the new development of the Ebola disease.  “If there is need, we refer patients we feel we cannot treat. We hope we are able to curtail the spread in order to save lives,” he said.

  A nurse at the same hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said that nurses wore facemask and gloves when any patients visited the facility.  He said: “We are protecting ourselves from contracting a deadly disease that has no drug or vaccine at the moment.”  Allso speaking, the Medical Director, Lifeline Children’s Hospital, Dr. Uche Owowo, said that his hospital was making hand sanitisers available for patients.  Owowo urged the Federal Government and other civil organisations to intensify awareness programmes to educate the masses about the disease.  “Many people still need to know more about the disease, how it can be contracted and how to prevent being infected.  “I believe educating people and making the facilities available and accessible will encourage people to be cautious,” he said.

  Efforts to speak with the medical directors and other health workers of Prime Hospital and Providence Hospital proved abortive as they refused to comment.

Source: NAN

Armed Robbers Can Never Rob Me-Daddy Showkey Declares

  In an interview with Tribune, popular dancehall star Daddy Showkey said no armed robbers in Lagos can rob him because they respect him too much. He said he's encountered many of them
on the streets, but they immediately let him go and even apologize when they recognize him. See below...

You were said to have been attacked by those alleged to be gunmen in your Lagos home shortly after you returned, could you tell us what happened? Yes, they were assassins. They came to my house and killed one of my boys. Thank God I was lucky. Those guys were not armed robbers because in Nigeria today, no armed robbers can come to my house.
It can never happen. Why? I grew up in the street of Ajegunle. I have always been a street boy. Armed robbers can never rob me. I have met a lot of them on the streets of Lagos several times and they will tell me Showkey Baba, we didn’t know it was you. Please, no vex, dey go. That respect is always there.

Armed robbers respect you? Do you have any connection with them?

That is a story for another day, Mr reporter. So who were the people that came to my house? The people that came to my house saw my son and asked him about my whereabouts, he said I was not around. My son went back inside and told one of my boys to go and attend to the guys at the gate, when he got there, they thought he was my bodyguard, so they shot him. They were inside my house for hours and they did not take anything away. Armed robber wont come to my house and start asking of Showkey, they will face what they have come for and leave. But these guys were asking for me and when they didn’t see me, they left. I am sad because they killed one of my boys.

You were said to have been shot few months after that incident at your house, is that true?
Yes. I was shot inside a filling station in Lagos. Why would anybody want to kill you? I don’t know. I can’t even explain what could be responsible for that but I thank God that I have overcome that now. Before you had that accident that kept you out of active music for almost ten years, the impression people had about you was that you had reached the eclipse of your career. Many people did not even know you had an accident until you came back.

What do you have to say? First of all, let me thank God that I am back again. Because If I had died before, during or after the accident, this interview will never happen. Talking about my career before the accident, you will agree with me that I have come a long way in the music industry. Myself and other old generation musicians set the ground rolling for today’s musicians and I am proud to say that. But you will agree that at some point, Showkey’s name was not as pronounced as it used to be? You can’t remain on top of your game for the rest of your life. There will be a moment when you will be forced to take the back seat and observe things, but that does not mean you are no more relevant or music has nothing to do with you again. The mistake most people make is that when they don’t see or hear about you, they quickly conclude that your life in music is over. I am not surprised that people didn’t know that I had an accident because I didn’t come out to tell Nigerians that I am down ooo, please help me. Why? Are you saying that because you have the wherewithal to handle your predicament? It is not about having the resources to handle my problem, it is more of my decision not to bother people with my problem. Why should I disturb them in the first place? Because they are my fans does not mean they should know about every step I take about my life. I asked myself one question which was, would Nigerians not have known if I was arrested for drugs or something capable of tarnishing my image?. It seems you are sad that despite your popularity, Nigerians did not know that Daddy Showkey had a life-threatening accident...

No. I am not feeling any sadness in my heart. I am even happy right now. I can’t be happier. I am not bothered whether they know or they don’t. What matters to me is that I was able to handle my predicament through the help of God and some people who God used to help me. I am grateful to these people and I wish them well in all they do. They are my people now and they are my friends. You have new friends now? I didn’t say I have new friends. What I am saying is that I have learnt new lesson about life and I now know what friendship is about.

So none of your friends in the music industry came to the hospital to look after you? The fact is that how many of them knew that I had an accident? How many of them knew which hospital I was admitted to?. It was not the matter of who was there or not, it was the matter of how I was able to handle my situation and managed everything very well. Another thing is that even those who would have come didn’t come because of one reason or the other but I am not bothered about that. Life goes on my brother. You live to learn and you learn to live. When on my sick bed, I read a report about my accident published by one national newspaper in Nigeria, I wept. I wept because that was the only newspaper that reported it. What single lesson did that experience teach you? Not a single one but many lessons but the chief of them is caution. I have learnt how to approach life with extreme caution.

You know why? If Showkey had died in that accident, I am sure that by now people would have forgotten about me. Perhaps when they listen to any of my songs, they may feel like ouch! that was Showkey’s song. We missed him so much. The bitter truth is that life goes on. What was running on your mind when you were on that bed? Did you at any point remember music and your dreams which could have gone unfulfilled? How do I start to describe the experience to you? It was a very bad one but I thank God that I am lucky. The only question on my mind was will I be able to walk again? I was so particular about that question that my doctors would tell me, Mr man you will walk again. The doctors told me I would not have been able to work again if I had delayed the operation for few more weeks. I still don’t believe I am walking again because what I saw in the hospital gave me a different impression about life and I am grateful to God.

Armed Robbers Can Never Rob Me-Daddy Showkey Declares

  In an interview with Tribune, popular dancehall star Daddy Showkey said no armed robbers in Lagos can rob him because they respect him too much. He said he's encountered many of them
on the streets, but they immediately let him go and even apologize when they recognize him. See below...

You were said to have been attacked by those alleged to be gunmen in your Lagos home shortly after you returned, could you tell us what happened? Yes, they were assassins. They came to my house and killed one of my boys. Thank God I was lucky. Those guys were not armed robbers because in Nigeria today, no armed robbers can come to my house.
It can never happen. Why? I grew up in the street of Ajegunle. I have always been a street boy. Armed robbers can never rob me. I have met a lot of them on the streets of Lagos several times and they will tell me Showkey Baba, we didn’t know it was you. Please, no vex, dey go. That respect is always there.

Armed robbers respect you? Do you have any connection with them?

That is a story for another day, Mr reporter. So who were the people that came to my house? The people that came to my house saw my son and asked him about my whereabouts, he said I was not around. My son went back inside and told one of my boys to go and attend to the guys at the gate, when he got there, they thought he was my bodyguard, so they shot him. They were inside my house for hours and they did not take anything away. Armed robber wont come to my house and start asking of Showkey, they will face what they have come for and leave. But these guys were asking for me and when they didn’t see me, they left. I am sad because they killed one of my boys.

You were said to have been shot few months after that incident at your house, is that true?
Yes. I was shot inside a filling station in Lagos. Why would anybody want to kill you? I don’t know. I can’t even explain what could be responsible for that but I thank God that I have overcome that now. Before you had that accident that kept you out of active music for almost ten years, the impression people had about you was that you had reached the eclipse of your career. Many people did not even know you had an accident until you came back.

What do you have to say? First of all, let me thank God that I am back again. Because If I had died before, during or after the accident, this interview will never happen. Talking about my career before the accident, you will agree with me that I have come a long way in the music industry. Myself and other old generation musicians set the ground rolling for today’s musicians and I am proud to say that. But you will agree that at some point, Showkey’s name was not as pronounced as it used to be? You can’t remain on top of your game for the rest of your life. There will be a moment when you will be forced to take the back seat and observe things, but that does not mean you are no more relevant or music has nothing to do with you again. The mistake most people make is that when they don’t see or hear about you, they quickly conclude that your life in music is over. I am not surprised that people didn’t know that I had an accident because I didn’t come out to tell Nigerians that I am down ooo, please help me. Why? Are you saying that because you have the wherewithal to handle your predicament? It is not about having the resources to handle my problem, it is more of my decision not to bother people with my problem. Why should I disturb them in the first place? Because they are my fans does not mean they should know about every step I take about my life. I asked myself one question which was, would Nigerians not have known if I was arrested for drugs or something capable of tarnishing my image?. It seems you are sad that despite your popularity, Nigerians did not know that Daddy Showkey had a life-threatening accident...

No. I am not feeling any sadness in my heart. I am even happy right now. I can’t be happier. I am not bothered whether they know or they don’t. What matters to me is that I was able to handle my predicament through the help of God and some people who God used to help me. I am grateful to these people and I wish them well in all they do. They are my people now and they are my friends. You have new friends now? I didn’t say I have new friends. What I am saying is that I have learnt new lesson about life and I now know what friendship is about.

So none of your friends in the music industry came to the hospital to look after you? The fact is that how many of them knew that I had an accident? How many of them knew which hospital I was admitted to?. It was not the matter of who was there or not, it was the matter of how I was able to handle my situation and managed everything very well. Another thing is that even those who would have come didn’t come because of one reason or the other but I am not bothered about that. Life goes on my brother. You live to learn and you learn to live. When on my sick bed, I read a report about my accident published by one national newspaper in Nigeria, I wept. I wept because that was the only newspaper that reported it. What single lesson did that experience teach you? Not a single one but many lessons but the chief of them is caution. I have learnt how to approach life with extreme caution.

You know why? If Showkey had died in that accident, I am sure that by now people would have forgotten about me. Perhaps when they listen to any of my songs, they may feel like ouch! that was Showkey’s song. We missed him so much. The bitter truth is that life goes on. What was running on your mind when you were on that bed? Did you at any point remember music and your dreams which could have gone unfulfilled? How do I start to describe the experience to you? It was a very bad one but I thank God that I am lucky. The only question on my mind was will I be able to walk again? I was so particular about that question that my doctors would tell me, Mr man you will walk again. The doctors told me I would not have been able to work again if I had delayed the operation for few more weeks. I still don’t believe I am walking again because what I saw in the hospital gave me a different impression about life and I am grateful to God.