SPOPOVICH:
The ebola should be allowed to whipe out as many Africans as possible, honestly alot of Africans are too useless to the world.

spectroscopic:


Although I asked this as a question, I know that the answer is yes.

The combination of wickedness, ignorance and vindictiveness is one that can send you to oblivion in one second. It is a potent weapon to keep you subjugated by yourself, for ever.

I love being a black man and would do anything to return as a black man, if reincarnation is to be believed. However, I regret being an African because Africans are wicked, ignorant and vindictive to themselves and to others. I prefer being a black man from the Caribbean. They are much more reasonable and measured blacks than Africans. They have been tempered from their long stay away from the African mainland.

What am I blabbing on about here? It is about Ebola and the response of Africans, Nigerians in particular, to it. Here are the scenarios making me mad:

Ebola has been with Africa for many years. It has killed hundreds of folks in Congo and Uganda in many different outbreaks. Fourty years after, these countries still have no cure for it. I admit that they have managed to contain it each time it erupts.

Then Ebola came to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, all in West Africa. How it did so bypassing countries enroute from Congo and Uganda remains a mystery.

When Ebola came to those countries, they virtually raised their hands up in submission (ignorance), allowing the virus to kill off thousands of their compatriots. Then a black man took the virus from Liberia to Nigeria, and low and behold, Nigeria became an Ebola country. Then it went to Senegal, adding them to the list. Recently, another black man took it to the United States. In both cases, that is Nigeria and United States, it was Liberians who had either lied or denied ever having been in contact with patients. It turned out they had in fact been in contact with Ebola-infected folks. So they lied (wickedly) and spread the disease to hitherto safe countries.

Speaking specifically about Nigeria, when the disease hit home, we did all we could to contain it. We did not have any vaccines or drugs, but somehow we managed. I believe it was because we took the decision, for the first time in my life time, I must add, to do something right on time. I believe we were goaded by having seing the ravage it is causing in other West African countries. If it came to Nigeria first, thousands would have died because we are simply not a prepared nation. I believe also that fate played a major part in the containment because if the late Dr. Adadevoh had not stopped the Liberian Ebola importer from flying out to Calabar from Lagos, the story would be different today. She practically sacrificed her life while potentially saving those of millions of Nigerians. For that, I give thanks to her and pray that she finds peace with her maker.

But the story is not ended with the present containment because as long as Ebola is in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and infecting and killing people, it could return to Nigeria. It takes just one sloppy event at the boarder in Lagos or elsewhere in the western part of the country, or a slip by an airline, or a lie from an infected patient in those countries, and we are back to square one.

When Ebola came to Nigeria, we were medically and unscientifically unprepared. We did not have good labs for studying viruses and still do not, at least in the public sector. We did not have vaccines or drugs. In fact, Nigerian doctors were on strike at that time. We cried to the West for help, as usual. When ''ZIMMAP'' did not come, we cursed at Obama and America. When Ebola was contained we joyed in the fact that ''we did it without America'' but we forgot that CDC/ WHO scientists/medics were in Nigeria helping out during that time. I wonder how it would have played out if it was 100% Nigerian effort to try to contain Ebola.

When Ebola got to America, many Nigerians were gleeful that it got there. You can see several threads on that, even here on Nairaland. That behavior was the zenith of ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. How low can some of us Africans get? You are trying to get back at America, but do you Nigerians in Nigeria realize how many Nigerians live in America and who among them could become a victim? How about your US-based relatives who used to send you dollars every now becoming infected with Ebola and possibly dying from it?

Nigerians were angry because America did not provide drugs for them, despite all the explanations that the drug in question was not available in sufficient quantities, and had not been tested on humans at that time. The more serious question though is, why are Africans not shamed by being perpetually dependent on the West for help? Why are we incapable of solving our own problems? Now that Ebola has dissipated somewhat, what is Nigeria doing in terms of research and development towards finding a lasting medical solution to forestall/reduce future deaths? Or do we just it back and wait until the next Ebola outbreak, and then we start begging America again?

How would you Africans feel now if the US closes its boarder against West Africans? I know, you will call them racists, ignoring the fact that other Ebola-free West African countries already closed their boarders against their neighbors.

I conclude with the opinion that Africans can only grow to the extent of rubbing shoulders with the West when they eschew ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. These vices have entrenched themselves in Nigeria so much that ethnic groups are constantly at each others throats. The earlier we start helping ourselves and doing something towards solving practical problems, the sooner we will be able to solve our problems ourselves.

And, for those of you laughing at America, just sit back and watch how they will handle the situation. They are by far more prepared than any country in Africa in these things. I hope you do not go back to them asking for help in the likely event of another Ebola outbreak.

macof:

kingston277 post=25285089:
Great thread, but whats keeping the medicinemen from responding to the Ebola outbreak like they did with the sleeping sickness in Uganda? Distrust in traditional practices?

Yes there's so much distrust and attacks against traditional practices in today's Africa by the larger population of Christians and muslims

spectroscopic:


Of who? Me as the poster, or Africans?

spectroscopic:
Ajanlekoko, back to the topic of African people's wickedness and vindictiveness

The Spaniards, led by Henardez Cortes, conquered South America and Mexico. So that was something akin to war where the better equipped person should win. However, that conquest led to colonization and not slavery. In contrast, before colonization came to Africa, Africans already were capturing fellow Africans and selling them to outsiders. Do you see a difference? Did you ever hear of Mexicans, Arabs, Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau) capturing and selling themselves to Europeans? That is the wickedness and vindictiveness in us.

spectroscopic:


Please permit me to interject here, and I am not speaking for the person whom you quoted. I understand your drift. But keep in mind that the slave traders did not come to your household and seize your children and enslave them. It was fellow Africans who captured other Africans and sold them into slavery to the white people in the coasts. Or did you read of any white men raiding African villages and capturing slaves? So, our wickedness and vindictiveness transcends the trans Atlantic slavery and colonialism.