Two Ebola patients’ spouses contract virus

Mrs. Ameyo-Stella Adadevoh, Ebola victim

Spouses of two Ebola victims, who had primary contacts with the late Patrick Sawyer, have been confirmed to have contracted the disease. The Federal Government announced yesterday.

Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew into Nigeria with the virus last month and infected 11 others before he died, including the male and female caregivers who subsequently died of Ebola.

 The federal authorities had initially denied fresh cases of infection when the Lagos State Government raised the alarm earlier in the week.

But in a u-turn yesterday, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu  said the fresh cases brought the number in the country to 14.

Five deaths have been recorded while five other  patients were discharged after recovering from the disease.

Four are currently receiving treatment.

Among the dead is Dr.Stella Adadevoh, senior consultant at the Lagos private hospital where Sawyer was rushed to on arrival in Lagos.

The minister said yesterday that the federal government would honour Dr. Adadevoh for the sacrifice she made in ensuring that Ebola did not  spread beyond Lagos.

He also promised that the Federal Government would continue to work with  the Lagos State Government and other partners with a view to maintaining  vigilance and strengthening  “our containment activities.”

Obasanjo hails FG, LASG efforts on Ebola Virus

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has hailed the Federal and Lagos State government on their efforts

Olusegun Obasanjo

to contain the spread of the Ebola virus disease in the country.

Obasanjo who spoke at the opening of 11th Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa said if the Federal Government had given the same prompt attention to rescuing the abducted Chibok girls, the story could have been different now.

He, however, called for collaboration among West African countries to contain the virus.

Obasanjo said, “I have always believed that where we have done well, we should be able to commend ourselves whether or not anybody commends us.

“On the other hand, where we have not done well enough, we should be bold and courageous enough to admit our failing, show remorse and make correction.

“The Lagos State Government and the Federal Government separately and collectively have done very well in the prompt measures taken to stem the tide of Ebola disease and to prevent the spread into an epidemic proportion both in Lagos and in the country.

“We should hail these efforts which are in contrast to the efforts and time deployed to rescue the 276 Chibok girls abducted. The difference is clear and the results are obvious.”

Obanikoro Praises Fashola, FG

The Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has hailed Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola for his administration’s responsiveness and collaboration with the Federal Government in tackling the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak.

Musiliu Obanikoro

The first case of the disease was recorded in July when the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer was diagnosed with the disease.

Four other people, including Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh, the doctor who treated the late Sawyer, have died of the disease, all in Lagos.

The minister also hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for the Federal Government’s N1.9 billion Ebola Intervention Fund, besides Wednesday’s Federal Executive Councils (FEC’s) approval of N200 million to support the Lagos State Government to contain the EVD.

Obanikoro commiserated with the families of those who died of the

disease, especially the medical personnel who contracted the disease when they were battling to save infected persons.

We will not allow masked security men during elections - Jega

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof Attahiru Jega has condemned the use of hooded security men during elections and said the body would not allow it

Jega

 

in 2015 elections.

Jega, who spoke at a session with local and international Civil Society Organizations in Abuja described the trend as worrisome as he accused the security men deployed in Osun State of being “overzealous”.

Meanwhile, Department of State Security (DSS) spokesperson Marylyn Ogar admitted that some of the DSS men deployed for the election wore hoods. Many other hooded troops in military fatigue, whose identities were unknown, were also seen in action before and during the election.

The INEC Chairman however made it clear that Any security personnel deployed for the election must be someone identifiable.

He said “In recent times, we have witnessed an increased presence of hooded security operatives during elections. This is an emerging trend which is highly worrisome and which needs to be addressed in good time. Security agents who are deployed on election duties should not be masked, the doctrine of transparency requires that they should be identifiable.

“We will not allow such persons during the 2015 elections. Any security personnel deployed for the election must be someone identifiable such that if anything happens we will be able to know who to hold responsible”, Jega added.

Akiolu threatens to reveal secrets of Nigerian leaders

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has threatened to expose the shady deals of Nigerian leaders after the 2015 general elections.

Akiolu dropped this hint yesterday at the launch of a book titled “Corruption and Human Rights Law in Nigeria” written by Dr. Kolawole Olaniyan.
The monarch’s statement was said to be referring to the allegation credited to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, that only two out of the country’s renowned monarchs are free of corruption. And he yesterday threatened that he would, after the 2015 general elections shake the country as he would come up with top secrets that cannot be disputed by those who claim to be clean.

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu and President Goodluck Jonathan

Angered by the statement attributed to Oba Sijuade, the Lagos monarch debunked the allegation that President Goodluck Jonathan was the architect of pervading corruption and other challenges bedeviling the country.

He said. “The monarch that made the statement that I lifted oil will be shocked when I make certain revelations after the 2015 elections and I think he should close his eyes in shame because as at that time, I was still serving in the Nigeria Police and I wonder how I could have such time to be involved in the lifting of oil.
“One person does not cause the problem of corruption. So, nobody should blame President Goodluck Jonathan for the problems in Nigeria, as about 99 per cent of us are guilty of the syndrome of corruption. So, everyone should be involved in the fight against corruption”.

Falana lashes Jonathan over corruption, insecurity

Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has berated president Jonathan’s administration for encouraging corruption by being lenient with his appointees accused of corrupt practices.

The lawyer said this during the launch of a book titled “Corruption and Human Rights in Africa” authored by Kolawole Olaniyan in Lagos.

The lawyer said, “Jonathan administration has killed the good works against corruption. It is only Abacha that has been harassed of all those accused of corruption and it’s because he is no longer alive”

To buttress his point on president Jonathan’s attitude towards corruption, he reminded the audience of the recruitment scandal associated with the minister of interior, Mr. Abba Morro as well as the allegation of corruption levied against the minister of Petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani  Alison-Madueke.

On insecurity, Falana decried how insurgency is being tacked and the poor welfare for soldiers.

He said, “Boko Haram is being fought in a corrupt way. Al dead soldiers’ names are unknown, immediately a soldier dies, his family is ejected from the barracks within two weeks.

The human Rights Lawyer therefore maintained that bad leadership is the root of corruption.