President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday
branded a Liberian-American a "madman" for bringing
Ebola into Nigeria, as the country announced its 10th
confirmed case of the deadly virus.
Patrick Sawyer died in a Lagos hospital on July 25 in
the country's first case of Ebola, which has claimed
the lives of nearly 1 000 people in West Africa since
the start of the year.
The 40-year-old, who was to have attended a meeting
of the regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of
West African States), was taken to hospital after
arriving in Lagos on a flight from Monrovia via the
Togolese capital, Lome.

A nurse who treated him died last week, while tests
last weekend confirmed that another had also
contracted the virus. Eight others have also tested
positive, the government said.
"It is unfortunate that one madman brought the Ebola
to us but we have to contain it," Jonathan told faith
leaders at a conference in the capital, Abuja, vowing
the government would do "everything possible" to
combat its spread.
Nigeria had until last month been spared from Ebola,
which has spread alarmingly in Guinea, Sierra Leone
and Liberia.
But its arrival has sown fear throughout the countr.
The authorities in sub-Saharan Africa's largest city
have appealed for volunteers because of a shortage of
medical personnel, exacerbated by a month-long
doctors' strike.
A number of measures to tackle the spread of Ebola,
which is passed on through direct contact with an
infected person displaying symptoms, have already
been announced.
Jonathan last week declared a national emergency in
line with World Health Organization (WHO) advice to
affected countries to trigger disaster response
procedures.
Greater funding has been promised to set up
additional isolation centres, border screenings and
contact tracing, while Nigerians have been told to
avoid large gatherings.
'Crazy man'
In his address, Jonathan told faith leaders to help get
the message across and also to pay close attention to
traditional burial ceremonies, given that the Ebola
virus is transmissible from dead bodies.
"We must advise our people not to over-celebrate
burial now," he said.
Jonathan said that Sawyer contracted Ebola because
his sister died from the infection and he attended her
funeral.
"(He) became a suspect. And the country (Liberia)
asked him not to leave the country so that he will be
observed but the crazy man decided to smuggle
himself out and now we are suffering because of it,"
he added.
Following strict professional health advice was now
paramount, Jonathan said, adding: "If we manage it
well we can get over it in two months and we will
return to our normal lives."

The WHO said on Friday there were 13 probable and
suspect cases of Ebola, including two deaths, in
Nigeria.
The global health body is discussing the possible use
of an experimental treatment to try to stem the
spread.
Health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu pleaded for the
National Medical Association to call off its strike, with
the union split between those who want to return to
work to tackle the crisis and those intent on staying
out.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) meanwhile said
it had activated all its volunteers to get across
preventative measures to the public, particularly
seeking early medical advice and treatment.
Secretary-general Bello Hamman Diram said 18
volunteers were assisting in areas such as contact
tracing, health promotion, case management and
public information schemes.
Some 300 other volunteers will be deployed to help
the federal and Lagos State governments in providing
protective equipment as well as educational and
hygiene materials.

Maddest man

truly he is a mad man......you cant be sick and still carry it to another country knowing you will get people infested......and not be called a mad man.......GEJ right on point since 1914

Ok

fp na