Suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Yobe state late Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring several others, witnesses told AFP blaming the Boko Haram Islamists.
The first explosion rocked an open air mosque belonging to a Shiite Muslim sect in the Dogo Tebo area of the town of Potiskum around 7:55 pm (1855 GMT) leaving four people dead.
The second blast five minutes later at a mosque within the compound of the chief imam in the town’s Anguwar Bolawa area killed at least two worshippers.
“A suicide bomber we believe was from Boko Haram blew himself up at the open air mosque used by Shiites which they name Saqafa shortly after saying their evening prayers there,” witness Balarabe Dahiru said.
“We took four dismembered bodies of the victims to the hospital along with five others who were injured,” said Dahiru who was sitting outside his house when the blast happened.
The body of the suicide bomber was left untouched by residents in protest, he said.
Resident Awwal Maikusa who gave a similar account said a second blast occurred five minutes later.
“They are obviously the handiwork of Boko Haram,” Maikusa said of the two attacks.
“We were trying to deal with the suicide blast in our neighbourhood when a second explosion was heard which we later learnt was from the chief imam’s compound,” he said.
A suicide bomber went inside the mosque while Muslim faithful were saying their evening prayer, said Sheriff Abdullahi who lives in the area.
“There was a loud explosion moments after the suicide bomber entered the mosque,” Abdullahi said.
“I saw two dead bodies whom I recognized being taken out of the mosque,” he said.
The town was locked down by soldiers following the attacks, with residents ordered to remain indoors.
Potiskum, Yobe state’s commercial hub, has been the scene of repeated deadly Boko Haram attacks in the last four years although they have become rarer in recent months.
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Ebola: Liberia places senior officials under observation
The Liberian football association LFA said Tuesday it has suspended all activities in the country as a measure to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
LFA had decided “to cease operations of football activities considering that football matches are contact sports and Ebola is spread through body contacts with an infected person,” LFA chief Musa Bility said in a statement.
Meanwhile the finance ministry in Liberia, where 127 people have died of the disease, said it had placed several senior officials under observation for three weeks after a top ministry official died from the virus.
Patrick Sawyer was on official business in Nigeria last week when he contracted the disease.
“All senior officials coming in direct or indirect contact with Mr Sawyer have been placed on the prescribed 21 days observatory surveillance,” the ministry said in a statement.
Since March, there have been 1,201 cases of Ebola and 672 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ebola can fell victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.
LFA had decided “to cease operations of football activities considering that football matches are contact sports and Ebola is spread through body contacts with an infected person,” LFA chief Musa Bility said in a statement.
Meanwhile the finance ministry in Liberia, where 127 people have died of the disease, said it had placed several senior officials under observation for three weeks after a top ministry official died from the virus.
Patrick Sawyer was on official business in Nigeria last week when he contracted the disease.
“All senior officials coming in direct or indirect contact with Mr Sawyer have been placed on the prescribed 21 days observatory surveillance,” the ministry said in a statement.
Since March, there have been 1,201 cases of Ebola and 672 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ebola can fell victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.
Boko Haram: Jonathan should exchange prisoners for Chibok girls — Evah
By Azu Akanwa
BOKO Haram bombing is getting deadly by the day, what is your opinion?
In fact, it is full blown war that we are witnessing and I am ashamed of our Northern leaders that they are helpless. Northern leaders should be ashamed of themselves that they can’t call their children to order. They thought they had the mandate of their people be Nigeria military rulers and civilian presidents. So what is happening? Why are they all running and hiding in Abuja? It is a shame if Niger Delta political leaders entered canoe to move into the creek why are these Northern leaders staying back?
What is your advice to President Goodluck Jonathan now?
President Goodluck Jonathan should use the Ramadan fasting period to exchange the prisoners of war now. He should bring out prisoners of Boko Haram and exchange them with the Chibok girls now. I am appealing to the president to go the extra-mile as an African statesman to do this for the sake of peace. Let the world know that President Jonathan means well.
Americans and Britain recently exchanged prisoners with the Taliban fighters, if America can do that we can try something similar. In fact, Israel did that with Hamas few years ago before this their current war. We want our girls to come out this period and I believe if we take this approach some of the Boko Haram fighters may report and help this nation in the peace process.
How will you describe the attack on General Buhari?
Let me tell you the truth the survival of Buhari in that bomb blast was the greatest miracle from God this year. It was not General Buhari that was lucky, it was Nigeria that was actually lucky that Buhari survived the attack. Some people don’t know the implications because they are ignorant of history. The killing of two political leaders in a plane crash that was bombed in Rwanda was what led to the worst genocide in Africa history.
In some families in Rwanda, there is no generation to tell the story. Let me tell you how the scenario will look like, if the bomb had succeeded, the same people who organised it will use their propaganda to say President Jonathan has killed Buhari and that his body has been taken away to Aso Rock or Niger Delta and the local people who are ignorant will start the killing that will spread like harmattan fire across the North and the Southern part will not be able to control their tempers.
So what I am telling Northern leaders who now appear helpless in this Boko Haram crisis is to say whether they don’t want Nigeria to remain together. Nobody wants to stay in any forced marriage. If they want us to end this marriage called Nigeria, let us go our different ways peacefully instead of pretending in the name of Boko Haram and telling us that your children (Boko Haram) are faceless. God we thank you for the miracle that Buhari is alive. Those who are boosting that if this bomb had killed him nothing would have happened need to re-examine their heads learn from history and pray against such calamity.
If you see the army killing themselves in the barracks what can anybody do? This is the senerio we are talking about that happened in Nigeria before Gowon took over. In Abeokuta barracks, no Igbo officer stayed alive to tell the story, almost all officers were killed with their wives on the bed. That is the power of propaganda and rumour in a crisis period.
Even now some abnormal people are already saying President Jonathan is behind the attack. Can you imagine such careless and dangerous talk?
The new states proposed by the National Conference did not include any Ijaw states. What is your reaction?
We reject the insult on us. Frankly speaking it was an insult that Niger Delta people were not considered for a state.
BOKO Haram bombing is getting deadly by the day, what is your opinion?
In fact, it is full blown war that we are witnessing and I am ashamed of our Northern leaders that they are helpless. Northern leaders should be ashamed of themselves that they can’t call their children to order. They thought they had the mandate of their people be Nigeria military rulers and civilian presidents. So what is happening? Why are they all running and hiding in Abuja? It is a shame if Niger Delta political leaders entered canoe to move into the creek why are these Northern leaders staying back?
What is your advice to President Goodluck Jonathan now?
President Goodluck Jonathan should use the Ramadan fasting period to exchange the prisoners of war now. He should bring out prisoners of Boko Haram and exchange them with the Chibok girls now. I am appealing to the president to go the extra-mile as an African statesman to do this for the sake of peace. Let the world know that President Jonathan means well.
Americans and Britain recently exchanged prisoners with the Taliban fighters, if America can do that we can try something similar. In fact, Israel did that with Hamas few years ago before this their current war. We want our girls to come out this period and I believe if we take this approach some of the Boko Haram fighters may report and help this nation in the peace process.
How will you describe the attack on General Buhari?
Let me tell you the truth the survival of Buhari in that bomb blast was the greatest miracle from God this year. It was not General Buhari that was lucky, it was Nigeria that was actually lucky that Buhari survived the attack. Some people don’t know the implications because they are ignorant of history. The killing of two political leaders in a plane crash that was bombed in Rwanda was what led to the worst genocide in Africa history.
In some families in Rwanda, there is no generation to tell the story. Let me tell you how the scenario will look like, if the bomb had succeeded, the same people who organised it will use their propaganda to say President Jonathan has killed Buhari and that his body has been taken away to Aso Rock or Niger Delta and the local people who are ignorant will start the killing that will spread like harmattan fire across the North and the Southern part will not be able to control their tempers.
So what I am telling Northern leaders who now appear helpless in this Boko Haram crisis is to say whether they don’t want Nigeria to remain together. Nobody wants to stay in any forced marriage. If they want us to end this marriage called Nigeria, let us go our different ways peacefully instead of pretending in the name of Boko Haram and telling us that your children (Boko Haram) are faceless. God we thank you for the miracle that Buhari is alive. Those who are boosting that if this bomb had killed him nothing would have happened need to re-examine their heads learn from history and pray against such calamity.
If you see the army killing themselves in the barracks what can anybody do? This is the senerio we are talking about that happened in Nigeria before Gowon took over. In Abeokuta barracks, no Igbo officer stayed alive to tell the story, almost all officers were killed with their wives on the bed. That is the power of propaganda and rumour in a crisis period.
Even now some abnormal people are already saying President Jonathan is behind the attack. Can you imagine such careless and dangerous talk?
The new states proposed by the National Conference did not include any Ijaw states. What is your reaction?
We reject the insult on us. Frankly speaking it was an insult that Niger Delta people were not considered for a state.
SAVE NIGERIAN POLITICS
History
of politics and elections in Nigeria is replete with cases of diverse
factors which hinder good governance and inability of political office
holders to deliver dividend of effective leadership to the electorates.
Some of these factors include lack of sound policy formulation and execution, lack of effective competition which reduces the freedom of choice, religion, ethnicity, absence of political ideology, weak and inconsistent parties policy positions among others.
PDP-APCTo address these recurring problems and prepare for successful 2015 general elections, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP and Democratic Governance for Development, DGD set up the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre.
The aim of the Centre is to help develop capacity of political parties in order to improve the quality of political engagement as political parties are crucial for the stability and dynamics of a democratic political system.
To achieve this aim, the centre has conducted workshops for national officers of the 26 registered political parties in the country. The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the major opposition, All Progressive Congress, APC, have, however, always recorded low turnout in each phase of the workshops.
It was in continuation of this that the director of the DGD, Mr. Daouda Toure paid a courtesy visit on the Director-General of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Prof. Tijani Mohammed-Bande.
The visit coincided with the training workshop for National Youth Leaders of registered political parties in Nigeria, a workshop facilitated by NIPSS supported by the UNDP and Democratic Governance for Development, DGD.
Mr. Toure noted that the minds of politicians and their supporters should be addressed because that is where conflict starts and conditioned so that the culture of peace is enthroned there.
His words, “The UNDP/DGD is in partnership with NIPSS to strengthen the leadership and organizational capacities of political parties as institutional foundation of Nigeria’s democracy and ensure that political parties are policy-oriented, responsive, inclusive and more accountable to their members and the society.
“As Nigeria prepares for the general elections next year, we need a strong Nigeria in Africa, though losers in Africa are not always willing to accept defeat, wait and get ready for the next election but we need a change of attitude.”
He commended the series of training which political parties’ leaders in registered parties are receiving at NIPSS and asked for such to be replicated in other African countries for effective repositioning of political landscape in the continent.
However, the DG of NIPSS, Prof. Muhammed-Bande reiterated that the partnership with the United Nations has been beneficial as they collaborate to strengthen political parties to develop good policies.
He stated, “The task of politics congeal what policies political parties carry out, the Institute in partnership with UNDP/DGD is working to strengthen political parties to develop policies, better organized and understand their roles in governance. We help political parties learn how to develop policies that impact positively on the people.”
Similarly, the Project Director of DGD, Dr. Mourtada Deme said Nigerian politicians had been learning democratic process since 1999 so democracy and governance should not be compressed into a voting act performed every four or five years.
Dr. Deme pointed out that free, fair and meaningful elections are essential but not enough stressing that words like “do or die” should never be expressed regarding the conduct of elections in a nation seeking to strengthen its democracy.
Meanwhile, the Director, Research and Chief Operative Officer of the Centre, Prof. Olu Obafemi decried the near absence of the vulnerable groups like women, youths and the physically challenged in active political activities and called for a change.
Prof. Obafemi also recommended that political parties should “implement measure such as promoting internal democracy, diversifying their sources of funding and encourage participation of vulnerable groups in all aspects of party affairs.”
Some of these factors include lack of sound policy formulation and execution, lack of effective competition which reduces the freedom of choice, religion, ethnicity, absence of political ideology, weak and inconsistent parties policy positions among others.
PDP-APCTo address these recurring problems and prepare for successful 2015 general elections, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP and Democratic Governance for Development, DGD set up the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre.
The aim of the Centre is to help develop capacity of political parties in order to improve the quality of political engagement as political parties are crucial for the stability and dynamics of a democratic political system.
To achieve this aim, the centre has conducted workshops for national officers of the 26 registered political parties in the country. The ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the major opposition, All Progressive Congress, APC, have, however, always recorded low turnout in each phase of the workshops.
It was in continuation of this that the director of the DGD, Mr. Daouda Toure paid a courtesy visit on the Director-General of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Prof. Tijani Mohammed-Bande.
The visit coincided with the training workshop for National Youth Leaders of registered political parties in Nigeria, a workshop facilitated by NIPSS supported by the UNDP and Democratic Governance for Development, DGD.
Mr. Toure noted that the minds of politicians and their supporters should be addressed because that is where conflict starts and conditioned so that the culture of peace is enthroned there.
His words, “The UNDP/DGD is in partnership with NIPSS to strengthen the leadership and organizational capacities of political parties as institutional foundation of Nigeria’s democracy and ensure that political parties are policy-oriented, responsive, inclusive and more accountable to their members and the society.
“As Nigeria prepares for the general elections next year, we need a strong Nigeria in Africa, though losers in Africa are not always willing to accept defeat, wait and get ready for the next election but we need a change of attitude.”
He commended the series of training which political parties’ leaders in registered parties are receiving at NIPSS and asked for such to be replicated in other African countries for effective repositioning of political landscape in the continent.
However, the DG of NIPSS, Prof. Muhammed-Bande reiterated that the partnership with the United Nations has been beneficial as they collaborate to strengthen political parties to develop good policies.
He stated, “The task of politics congeal what policies political parties carry out, the Institute in partnership with UNDP/DGD is working to strengthen political parties to develop policies, better organized and understand their roles in governance. We help political parties learn how to develop policies that impact positively on the people.”
Similarly, the Project Director of DGD, Dr. Mourtada Deme said Nigerian politicians had been learning democratic process since 1999 so democracy and governance should not be compressed into a voting act performed every four or five years.
Dr. Deme pointed out that free, fair and meaningful elections are essential but not enough stressing that words like “do or die” should never be expressed regarding the conduct of elections in a nation seeking to strengthen its democracy.
Meanwhile, the Director, Research and Chief Operative Officer of the Centre, Prof. Olu Obafemi decried the near absence of the vulnerable groups like women, youths and the physically challenged in active political activities and called for a change.
Prof. Obafemi also recommended that political parties should “implement measure such as promoting internal democracy, diversifying their sources of funding and encourage participation of vulnerable groups in all aspects of party affairs.”
Don’t travel to W’ Africa, US warns Americans
Meanwhile, United States Cen tre for Disease Control, CDC, yesterday warned American health care professionals to avoid non-essential travel to the West African countries with high burden of the Ebola disease to prevent them from contracting it, expressing fear that the deadly Ebola virus could spread like a forest fire.
Stephan Monroe, Deputy Director of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said, “The likelihood of this outbreak spreading beyond West Africa is very low.”
The warning issued in two notices, also warned travelers to avoid contact with blood and bodily fluids of sick people in the affected countries.
The World Health Organisation, WHO estimates that Ebola has killed at least 672 people in West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The CDC also sent out the notice to health care professionals in the U.S, reminding them to find out if patients had travelled to West Africa in the last two weeks, to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of Ebola and to isolate any suspected cases.
Most of the exposures to Ebola in health care settings had been through needle sticks and exposure while disposing of the diarrhoea, vomit and blood of sick people, said Monroe.
People are not contagious unless they exhibit symptoms, but often these signs — like fever and body aches — can be mistaken for other diseases like malaria and Lassa fever, experts said.
Also, only about half of cases involve bleeding, despite the perception that Ebola is characterised by widespread hemorrhage.
The State Department said the US was providing “personal protective equipment and other essential supplies” to the affected areas. We’re taking every precaution, of course, as would be expected,” said spokeswoman Jen Psaki, noted that the situation was not expected to affect a planned summit of African leaders next week in Washington.
The CDC said the family members of the American doctor who contracted Ebola, Kent Brantly, had been living with him in Liberia.
“However, by the time he fell ill they had already returned to the United States. As a precaution, they are being monitored for signs of fever for the incubation period of 21 days. An outbreak could not be declared over until two full incubation periods — 42 days — have passed without new cases, he added.
”The concern is that the outbreak can be reseeded, much like a forest fire with sparks from one tree,” said Monroe.
”That is clearly what happened in Liberia,” he said, noting that the country made it for more than 21 days without cases, but Ebola returned.
”They were reseeded by cases coming across the border, so until we can identify and interrupt every source of transmission, we won’t be able to control the outbreak.”
Stephan Monroe, Deputy Director of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said, “The likelihood of this outbreak spreading beyond West Africa is very low.”
The warning issued in two notices, also warned travelers to avoid contact with blood and bodily fluids of sick people in the affected countries.
The World Health Organisation, WHO estimates that Ebola has killed at least 672 people in West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The CDC also sent out the notice to health care professionals in the U.S, reminding them to find out if patients had travelled to West Africa in the last two weeks, to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of Ebola and to isolate any suspected cases.
Most of the exposures to Ebola in health care settings had been through needle sticks and exposure while disposing of the diarrhoea, vomit and blood of sick people, said Monroe.
People are not contagious unless they exhibit symptoms, but often these signs — like fever and body aches — can be mistaken for other diseases like malaria and Lassa fever, experts said.
Also, only about half of cases involve bleeding, despite the perception that Ebola is characterised by widespread hemorrhage.
The State Department said the US was providing “personal protective equipment and other essential supplies” to the affected areas. We’re taking every precaution, of course, as would be expected,” said spokeswoman Jen Psaki, noted that the situation was not expected to affect a planned summit of African leaders next week in Washington.
The CDC said the family members of the American doctor who contracted Ebola, Kent Brantly, had been living with him in Liberia.
“However, by the time he fell ill they had already returned to the United States. As a precaution, they are being monitored for signs of fever for the incubation period of 21 days. An outbreak could not be declared over until two full incubation periods — 42 days — have passed without new cases, he added.
”The concern is that the outbreak can be reseeded, much like a forest fire with sparks from one tree,” said Monroe.
”That is clearly what happened in Liberia,” he said, noting that the country made it for more than 21 days without cases, but Ebola returned.
”They were reseeded by cases coming across the border, so until we can identify and interrupt every source of transmission, we won’t be able to control the outbreak.”
IS THIS FAIR? N100m LARGESSE: Our leaders cheated us — Chibok parents
The N100 million cash gift allegedly given to parents of abducted Chibok girls when they met President Goodluck Jonathan on July 22 at the Presidential Villa is now causing disquiet among the aggrieved parents.
They have reported ly cried out that they have been cheated by their community leaders in the sharing formula.
The Presidency allegedly handed over the money to leaders of the Chibok community in Abuja for onward presentation to parents of the abducted schoolgirls.
According to a report monitored on Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, however, some of the parents are now alleging that the Abuja-based community leaders have shortchanged them.
One parent, who was among those who visited the President, told BBC that he got only N200,000.
He said: “I got only N200,000 out of the said N100million allegedly received by our leaders in Abuja. Some of us got N300,000 and some less than that.
President Jonathan interacting with parents of abducted Chibok girls at the State House
He also said that he was not comfortable with the way the money was shared among parents of the kidnapped girls.
According to him: “Our leaders in Abuja are using the girls to enrich themselves. In fact, some of the parents were screened out of the entourage by the Chibok leaders in Abuja. Many of them are residents of Abuja, not parents of the kidnapped girls”.
Another parent, who was screened out of the delegation that visited the President, said he got only N7,000 out of the money shared.
“I was at the farm when they brought the N7, 000 to my house and I collected it. Some of us got even less, some got N300 and below,” he said.
The parents stressed that they were not selling their daughters and that the money from the President just came to them as they neither asked for, nor expected it.
One of the community leaders, Pobu Bitrus, who is also a member of the House of Representatives and was at the meeting with the President explained to the BBC that after meeting with the President, monies were distributed to the parents in envelopes.
“After we met with the president, the parents were given monies in envelopes and that’s all. All other things they are saying about N100million, I don’t know about that,” Mr. Bitrus said.
No money was given — Presidency
In its reaction, yesterday, the Presidency however said that it never gave N100 million to parents of the abducted school girls, who were at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last week, saying the story was absolutely false.
In a text message to Vanguard yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who noted that the government only took care of the parents’ accommodation and feeding, said “the story is absolute falsehood.
“The President did not give any N100m to the visitors from Chibok. Government took care of their accommodation, feeding and transportation.
“Government’s plan is robust rehabilitation and resettlement of the girls who have escaped so they can continue their education.
“The government also plans to rebuild the school and in general terms, repair damaged infrastructure as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.”
Three months after the Chibok girls were abducted, President Jonathan finally agreed to meet with their parents following an appeal by the Pakistan girl-child education activist Malala Yusoufai. The Presidency had faced intense criticism over its handling of the kidnap of the Chibok girls being held by the extremist Boko Haram sect since April 14.
They have reported ly cried out that they have been cheated by their community leaders in the sharing formula.
The Presidency allegedly handed over the money to leaders of the Chibok community in Abuja for onward presentation to parents of the abducted schoolgirls.
According to a report monitored on Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, however, some of the parents are now alleging that the Abuja-based community leaders have shortchanged them.
One parent, who was among those who visited the President, told BBC that he got only N200,000.
He said: “I got only N200,000 out of the said N100million allegedly received by our leaders in Abuja. Some of us got N300,000 and some less than that.
President Jonathan interacting with parents of abducted Chibok girls at the State House
He also said that he was not comfortable with the way the money was shared among parents of the kidnapped girls.
According to him: “Our leaders in Abuja are using the girls to enrich themselves. In fact, some of the parents were screened out of the entourage by the Chibok leaders in Abuja. Many of them are residents of Abuja, not parents of the kidnapped girls”.
Another parent, who was screened out of the delegation that visited the President, said he got only N7,000 out of the money shared.
“I was at the farm when they brought the N7, 000 to my house and I collected it. Some of us got even less, some got N300 and below,” he said.
The parents stressed that they were not selling their daughters and that the money from the President just came to them as they neither asked for, nor expected it.
One of the community leaders, Pobu Bitrus, who is also a member of the House of Representatives and was at the meeting with the President explained to the BBC that after meeting with the President, monies were distributed to the parents in envelopes.
“After we met with the president, the parents were given monies in envelopes and that’s all. All other things they are saying about N100million, I don’t know about that,” Mr. Bitrus said.
No money was given — Presidency
In its reaction, yesterday, the Presidency however said that it never gave N100 million to parents of the abducted school girls, who were at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last week, saying the story was absolutely false.
In a text message to Vanguard yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who noted that the government only took care of the parents’ accommodation and feeding, said “the story is absolute falsehood.
“The President did not give any N100m to the visitors from Chibok. Government took care of their accommodation, feeding and transportation.
“Government’s plan is robust rehabilitation and resettlement of the girls who have escaped so they can continue their education.
“The government also plans to rebuild the school and in general terms, repair damaged infrastructure as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.”
Three months after the Chibok girls were abducted, President Jonathan finally agreed to meet with their parents following an appeal by the Pakistan girl-child education activist Malala Yusoufai. The Presidency had faced intense criticism over its handling of the kidnap of the Chibok girls being held by the extremist Boko Haram sect since April 14.
EBOLA: NIGERIA IS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET — Prof. Oyewale Tomor
Since the confirmation and subsequent death of a Liberian man who was the first to be diagnosed with the Ebola Virus Disease on Nigerian soil, anxiety, shock and fear have been expressed by a wide section of the populace. Although several assurances have been given by officials of the Federal and state governments, the generality of Nigerians remain worried and doubtful about their safety.
Foremost virologist and Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, President of the Nigeria Academy of Science, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, is of the view that Nigeria’s effort in containing the first reported Ebola case was commendable. However, Tomori, who is currently the regional virologist with the World Health Organisation Africa Region and a Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science, the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria and the Royal College of Pathologists of the United Kingdom, warns that as far as Ebola is concerned, Nigeria is not yet out of the woods. He speaks to Sola Ogundipe. Excerpts .
WHAT should be the best step for monitoring passengers entering Nigeria by air, land and sea from Ebola affected countries? Do they need to be quarantined?
Not necessarily. The Port Health staff needs to screen passengers coming into Nigeria from Ebola affected countries, by checking for anyone ill with fever plus signs and symptoms of Ebola fever. The screening can be done using a prepared investigation form for taking details of the passenger – name, age, contact address, travel history (which countries visited, for how long and which part of the country, etc), plus any history of illness or sickness over the last 2-3 weeks.
Those who are sick, like the Liberian case, must be taken for observation to hospital with isolation facilities. Others must be let off, but monitored and contacted DAILY by phone to check if they fall sick over the next 3 weeks covering the incubation period of Ebola infection. They should be carefully monitored by competent health staff
From what we have witnessed in the handling of the first Ebola victim, is Nigeria in any way up to the task of containing a possible outbreak of Ebola?
I will say that the health staff – federal, state and the hospital where the case was admitted and the laboratory staff have performed creditably well. However, the detection of the case was purely fortuitous and not because we had our preparedness machinery in place. We should count ourselves lucky that the Liberian case came into Nigeria already sick and landed in Lagos too sick to continue his journey to Calabar.
He arrived at a time when our government hospitals were operating at “half mast” because the doctors were on strike. We might have had a bigger problem in our hands, assuming this case was well enough to get to Calabar – (in which case he would have mingled with more passengers at the local airport and in Calabar) or that government hospitals were in full operation, (in which case he would not have been admitted into a private hospital, where there are fewer contacts). So, I am saying we were able to detect the case through fortuitous circumstances and not because of our preparedness.
We were simply lucky. In spite of our national penchant for declaring ourselves always on top of the situation, we were plain lucky on this occasion, not because we were prepared. Next time, we may not be so lucky. We must, however, commend staff of the Federal and State Ministries of Health and of the private hospital where the case was admitted for being alert and taking prompt action as soon as suspicion was raised. Another point about this issue which made me proud was the laboratory support within the country.
The lab in LUTH under Prof Omilabu received samples on July 22nd and the next day provided results of a pan-FILOVIRUS family diagnosis, that is evidence of presence of a virus belonging to the family of Ebola virus (including Marburg, Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan Bundibugyo virus, Reston virus, and Taï Forest virus).
Samples were also sent to Prof. Happi’s lab at the Redeemer’s University (RUN), late on July 23. The Happi team worked and tested and confirmed that the virus was the specific Ebola-Zaire type virus early on July 25, 2014. All these happened before confirmation came in from Dakar. I understand the RUN lab will commence sequencing studies pretty soon. My congratulations to our colleagues in LUTH and RUN for a great job.
What should we be doing currently that we are not in terms of (a) preparedness (b) response?
We are certainly not out of the woods yet, until we ensure that we monitor and ascertain that every of his contact is free from infection. We must trace all the passengers in the plane that brought him to Nigeria, to those in contact with him at the Lagos airport, and all those who attended to him, in the hospital where he was treated.
Every such person must be monitored for the duration of the incubation period of Ebola virus infection that is up to 21 days from point of contact. We must get in touch with them on a daily basis to find out if they fall sick, with fever and showing the signs and exhibiting the symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever. This must be carried out thoroughly, efficiently and rapidly. I repeat, we are not out of the woods yet.
One other issue we should take note of is to find out the itinerary of the ASKY flight that brought the case to Nigeria. Did the flight come direct from Liberia or were there stops on the way say, Lome, etc., and who had contact with the case.
We need to contact other countries where ASKY might have landed and is still landing. I hear also that other airlines – Arik does direct Abuja-Monrovia-Freetown flights. If that is so, then we must also mount our surveillance not only on Lagos, but also on Abuja, Not forgetting Idi-Iroko, Seme borders.
In the event of detection of subsequent confirmed cases of Ebola, what would be the implication and how should we respond to such?
Any suspected case arising from new comers into Nigeria or should any of the contact of the Liberian case become ill, the case should be admitted immediately into a hospital with isolation facilities and barrier nursing instituted.
Isolation facilities
This is why the monitoring at the border must not be scaled down. So long as we are still having people coming in from the affected West African countries, we must be on top alert with our border monitoring.
Are there any issues regarding the hospital where the victim was admitted and eventually died?
I am very pleased to say that the staff of the private hospital acted professionally in every aspect of the treatment and eventual containment of the case. I understand that the hospital has been decontaminate and closed for a period of time.
What is your last word on this?
As I mentioned earlier, the detection of the case was purely fortuitous and not because we had our preparedness machinery in place. We should have had our border monitoring in place soon after we learnt of the first case in Guinea.
Again, so long as ASKY or any other airlines are bringing in passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, our border monitoring must remain in place until the countries are declared free and for another 2-3 weeks after the declaration.
Foremost virologist and Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, President of the Nigeria Academy of Science, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, is of the view that Nigeria’s effort in containing the first reported Ebola case was commendable. However, Tomori, who is currently the regional virologist with the World Health Organisation Africa Region and a Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science, the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria and the Royal College of Pathologists of the United Kingdom, warns that as far as Ebola is concerned, Nigeria is not yet out of the woods. He speaks to Sola Ogundipe. Excerpts .
WHAT should be the best step for monitoring passengers entering Nigeria by air, land and sea from Ebola affected countries? Do they need to be quarantined?
Not necessarily. The Port Health staff needs to screen passengers coming into Nigeria from Ebola affected countries, by checking for anyone ill with fever plus signs and symptoms of Ebola fever. The screening can be done using a prepared investigation form for taking details of the passenger – name, age, contact address, travel history (which countries visited, for how long and which part of the country, etc), plus any history of illness or sickness over the last 2-3 weeks.
Those who are sick, like the Liberian case, must be taken for observation to hospital with isolation facilities. Others must be let off, but monitored and contacted DAILY by phone to check if they fall sick over the next 3 weeks covering the incubation period of Ebola infection. They should be carefully monitored by competent health staff
From what we have witnessed in the handling of the first Ebola victim, is Nigeria in any way up to the task of containing a possible outbreak of Ebola?
I will say that the health staff – federal, state and the hospital where the case was admitted and the laboratory staff have performed creditably well. However, the detection of the case was purely fortuitous and not because we had our preparedness machinery in place. We should count ourselves lucky that the Liberian case came into Nigeria already sick and landed in Lagos too sick to continue his journey to Calabar.
He arrived at a time when our government hospitals were operating at “half mast” because the doctors were on strike. We might have had a bigger problem in our hands, assuming this case was well enough to get to Calabar – (in which case he would have mingled with more passengers at the local airport and in Calabar) or that government hospitals were in full operation, (in which case he would not have been admitted into a private hospital, where there are fewer contacts). So, I am saying we were able to detect the case through fortuitous circumstances and not because of our preparedness.
We were simply lucky. In spite of our national penchant for declaring ourselves always on top of the situation, we were plain lucky on this occasion, not because we were prepared. Next time, we may not be so lucky. We must, however, commend staff of the Federal and State Ministries of Health and of the private hospital where the case was admitted for being alert and taking prompt action as soon as suspicion was raised. Another point about this issue which made me proud was the laboratory support within the country.
The lab in LUTH under Prof Omilabu received samples on July 22nd and the next day provided results of a pan-FILOVIRUS family diagnosis, that is evidence of presence of a virus belonging to the family of Ebola virus (including Marburg, Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan Bundibugyo virus, Reston virus, and Taï Forest virus).
Samples were also sent to Prof. Happi’s lab at the Redeemer’s University (RUN), late on July 23. The Happi team worked and tested and confirmed that the virus was the specific Ebola-Zaire type virus early on July 25, 2014. All these happened before confirmation came in from Dakar. I understand the RUN lab will commence sequencing studies pretty soon. My congratulations to our colleagues in LUTH and RUN for a great job.
What should we be doing currently that we are not in terms of (a) preparedness (b) response?
We are certainly not out of the woods yet, until we ensure that we monitor and ascertain that every of his contact is free from infection. We must trace all the passengers in the plane that brought him to Nigeria, to those in contact with him at the Lagos airport, and all those who attended to him, in the hospital where he was treated.
Every such person must be monitored for the duration of the incubation period of Ebola virus infection that is up to 21 days from point of contact. We must get in touch with them on a daily basis to find out if they fall sick, with fever and showing the signs and exhibiting the symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever. This must be carried out thoroughly, efficiently and rapidly. I repeat, we are not out of the woods yet.
One other issue we should take note of is to find out the itinerary of the ASKY flight that brought the case to Nigeria. Did the flight come direct from Liberia or were there stops on the way say, Lome, etc., and who had contact with the case.
We need to contact other countries where ASKY might have landed and is still landing. I hear also that other airlines – Arik does direct Abuja-Monrovia-Freetown flights. If that is so, then we must also mount our surveillance not only on Lagos, but also on Abuja, Not forgetting Idi-Iroko, Seme borders.
In the event of detection of subsequent confirmed cases of Ebola, what would be the implication and how should we respond to such?
Any suspected case arising from new comers into Nigeria or should any of the contact of the Liberian case become ill, the case should be admitted immediately into a hospital with isolation facilities and barrier nursing instituted.
Isolation facilities
This is why the monitoring at the border must not be scaled down. So long as we are still having people coming in from the affected West African countries, we must be on top alert with our border monitoring.
Are there any issues regarding the hospital where the victim was admitted and eventually died?
I am very pleased to say that the staff of the private hospital acted professionally in every aspect of the treatment and eventual containment of the case. I understand that the hospital has been decontaminate and closed for a period of time.
What is your last word on this?
As I mentioned earlier, the detection of the case was purely fortuitous and not because we had our preparedness machinery in place. We should have had our border monitoring in place soon after we learnt of the first case in Guinea.
Again, so long as ASKY or any other airlines are bringing in passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, our border monitoring must remain in place until the countries are declared free and for another 2-3 weeks after the declaration.
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