Nigeria: Ebola Nurse Flees Lagos for Enugu

By Sola Ogundipe, Ben Agande, Kinsgley Omonobi,Tony Edike, Chioma Obinna and Gabriel Olawale
One of the primary contacts of the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who escaped quarantine on suspicion of having the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Lagos, has been tracked to Enugu.
The suspect, identified as a nurse, said to have travelled to her home town to visit her family, is now under surveillance with 20 others she came into contact with in the city.
With the development, the total number of Nigerians under monitoring for the dreaded virus is now 198.
Revealing these facts yesterday after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, explained that Nigeria currently has 10 confirmed cases of Ebola, all stemming from the visit of the late Sawyer.
Maku explained that of the 198 persons under surveillance, 177 of them are in Lagos while 21 are in Enugu.
He said: "All those who had primary contact have been quarantined. Secondary contacts have also been traced. So far, the number of people that have been traced is 198.
"Of this number, 177 are in Lagos and are being traced. Some are in quarantine, some are being monitored by health specialists."
Meanwhile, the death toll world wide from the outbreak stands at 1,069 and total number of infections 1,975, according to the World Health Organisation.
Liberia was hit extremely hard this week, with 71 cases and 32 deaths from Sunday to Monday. Fifty-six deaths and 128 new cases were reported in that same period across all four West African countries affected by the virus.
21 Ebola suspects in Enugu under watch
Giving details on the escapee, Maku revealed that she travelled to Enugu from Lagos against instruction not to leave Lagos State.
He said: "The 21 persons in Enugu under watch now is as a result of their involvement with the nurse who disobeyed medical instructions and somehow travelled to Enugu. All those who she was in contact with, including her husband, are under quarantine. The medical team has been able to trace all those who made contact with her."
While warning that government would prosecute anybody found spreading false rumours or unverified reports over the Ebola epidemic, Maku said government was expanding presence of health officers to strategic entry points in the country.
"Health workers are now in all our border units. At all the entry points into this country and exit points, we have port health workers that are working in our airports and seaports.
"We are calling on citizens, specifically, to co-operate. If health workers say you have had contact with A, B, C, don't move to anywhere, respect that judgment. It is very important. In one or two cases where we have had disobedience, we lost one of them and this one now moved with it to another place (Enugu).
"So we are urging Nigerians, please to help us in making sure that all these messages and appeals we are making, we implement them."
He noted that the Ministry of Health had set up a special committee specifically to take claims from Nigerians who believe they could help and so far "we have had a lot of reports from Nigerians at home and abroad who come forward to say they have possibility of developing therapies that could help in fighting the virus.
"There is no cure so far, anywhere in the world. Even the trial drug in the US is still a trial drug; it has not been established.
"One of the doctors and research experts that came forward was Dr. Simon Agwale, who has been one of the frontline global researchers on developing vaccines for HIV and other viral diseases.
"He also came forward and said he could help, both in terms of working to develop a vaccine, which he said he has started work on between himself and his fellow experts in the US and he said this is ongoing."
Maku stated that the Minister of Health had given support and directed him to the committee. He also discussed the possibility of certain therapy which could be applied and again that is being discussed. Once it is approved, it could be used."
Escapee nurse, husband arrested, returned to Lagos
There was anxiety among residents of Enugu, yesterday following reports that 21 persons have been quarantined in the city for having direct contact with a suspected Ebola patient who escaped from Lagos.
Officials of Enugu State Government claimed ignorance of the development but there were fears that the government might be keeping the information secret to prevent panic among residents.
The telephone line of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. George Eze, remained switched off yesterday while another commissioner who was contacted said he was not aware of anybody being quarantined in Enugu.
But a medical consultant with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu, told Vanguard that some officials of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, in Lagos were in Enugu last week to pick the suspected female Ebola victim who escaped from a quarantine centre in Lagos.

Lagos Moves To Amend Okada Law

Governor Babatunde Fashola reverted the fees paid by Lagos State University (LASU) students to its original N25,000, after a long protracted battle with the students, members of  the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, moved to amend the state Traffic Law, accusing the enforcement agencies, particularly the police, of poor implementation.


The assembly made this observation while debating a motion sponsored by 10 lawmakers, including Honourable Sanai Agunbiade.


While moving for a public hearing on the review exercise, the assembly urged Governor Fashola to urgently call on the state Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko, to ensure his officers and men desist from indiscriminate arrest of okada riders, particularly outside the restricted areas.


According to members, who maintained that the Traffic Law remained the best in terms of bringing sanity on the roads, curbing crime rate and reducing rate of accidents on Lagos roads, the police, they said, from personal observation and experience, had cultivated the habit of exploiting the okada riders through indiscriminate arrests.


Members of the assembly noted that the response to the law had been negative, due to poor enforcement.


Meanwhile, Governor Fashola has requested for the re-ordering of the 2014 Budget of the state to meet with demands for more public services.


The governor’s request was contained in a letter, entitled: “Y2014 Budget Re-Ordering of Priorities,” addressed to the speaker, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji.


According to Fashola, the re-ordering was to take care of emerging issues like the reversal of LASU school fees policy, Ebola virus epidemic, among others.

Lagos state launches ebola response website

Nigeria’s Lagos state government has launched a response website in furtherance of the fight against ebola, providing information on the disease via the www.lagosebolaresponse.org website.

The website was launched by the state’s Ministry of Health and provides information such as what to do faced with a suspected ebola case, as well as a fact sheet on the viral disease.
Information from the website can be downloaded in PDF format.
The ebola response website features a blog page attempting to debunk rumours about the disease including the one that was widely circulated on social media that drinking and bathing with salt and water could prevent the disease.
The Lagos Ministry of Health has also launched a toll-free ebola helpline which can be reached by dialling 0800 EBOLA HELP (0800 326524357).
The state’s response centre can be accessed via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube; with the Twitter account already counting 400 followers while the Facebook page has over 700 likes.

Politicians Urged To Desist From Using-Youths As Mercenaries

BENIN CITY- Youths in Edo State, yesterday joined their counterparts across the globe to mark the world Youth Day celebration with a call on politicians to ‘desist’ from using youths as political mercenaries to actualize the selfish agenda.

They also called on government at all levels to look inward with a view to mapping out plans/strategies that would help revolutionalize the country through agriculture, which according to them would help curb unemployment and youth restiveness in the country.

Addressing newsmen during the celebration which was organized, by the Edo Youths for Good Governance (EYFGG), in collaboration with Initiative for Youths Awareness on Migration, Immigration, Development / Reintegration (IYAMIDR) EYFGG President, Comrade Osaru Culture, said the celebration became necessary because of the need to X-ray the impact of youths on nation building.

He called on the Federal government to as a matter of urgency review the subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) towards ensuring an all-inclusive and participatory programme.

The youth who vowed to resist any political aspirant who fails to present youth-presented manifestoes, in the forthcoming general elections called on the Edo State House of Assembly Factional leaders, to shift grounds for reconciliation in the interest of the progress of the state.
According to him, the youths would soon remind the lawmakers on why any of them will not be voted for during subsequent elections.

The EYFGG President appealed to the state government to facilitate the immediate release of appointment letters to deserving youths who applied for job under the state Neighbourhood Watch Scheme as well as consider the appointment of youths into the State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC).

While commending the Federal government on the appointment of Peter Osaretin as the NDDC Commissioner, the youths called on government at all levels to take proactive measures toward the fight against the spread of Ebola Virus in the country.

He however admonished his members (Youths) to jettison any act capable of foiling social ills in the society.

Kunle Afolayan And Brother Isolated In Seychelles Over Ebola

As panic over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus continue to rise, most countries have started taking precautionary measures, thoroughly screening incoming passengers especially those from Western countries where cases of the virus has been reported.

Top Nollywood filmmaker and actor, Kunle Afolayan and his younger brother, Gabriel Afolayan who is also an actor were isolated on their arrival at Seychelles airport because of the Ebola fear.
This was disclosed by Kunle via his Facebook page. He added that Gabriel had to do a test as he didn’t have his yellow fever card.

On Wednesday, August 6, 2014, I hear there was an unusual meeting in the Edo State Government House in Benin City. The unusual was the visit of the Benin High Chief and business mogul, Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion to the Comrade Governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole. It was indeed an august visitor in August! Media reports said the Esama came in a maroon red Rolls Royce Phantom car and as usual, he was accompanied by a returnee of close associates and aides who were kept out of the secret meeting. The surprise visit was said to have lasted for about 35 minutes. Those who are in the know say it was about the first by the Esama of Benin Kingdom to the government house in the last five years. However, that is not to say that the two prominent sons of Edo have not been having chance meetings at social functions in and out of the state. The formal meeting in the government house, though said to be unscheduled, is the unusual, hence, the news. The print and electronic media promptly latched on it, making a mincemeat.

Given the relationship between the government and the patriarch of the House of Igbinedion, the secret meeting kept tongues wagging in the ancient city as to the real motive. Could it have been the lingering crises rocking the state house of assembly which has torn it into two parts with lawmakers holding parallel plenary along party lines?

Was it a plea to cooperate towards the forthcoming general elections? Or to solicit support for and formerly invites the governor to the Esama’s 80th birthday in September? Questions and questions begging for possible answer(s).

But blame not these wagging tongues, insinuating all sorts of things, because anything is possible in party politics, especially in this season of political anomie characterised by defections and impeachments. Some went to the extent of saying the Esama was planning to dump the PDP, adding that he had gone to discuss his defection with his entire household to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. Yet, some say at 80, the Esama is moving round to reconcile with all those he had issues with at one time or the other. But wait a minute, since the meeting was held behind close doors, I believe all these could be better described as garbage from the political rumour mill.

Without giving in to these “idle talk”, I would however want to believe that the Esama may have quietly met with the comrade governor to appreciate him for the Yeoman’s job he is doing in Edo State, especially in the area of infrastructure, human capital development, youth employment and healthcare delivery. This is more like it given the enormity of transformation the governor has brought to bear on Edo in the last six years. As a chieftain of the PDP, the Esama had to do “secretly” acknowledge the comrade’s modest efforts to avoid sanction from the hawks.

That is the colour of the unfortunate politics in this clime where the opposition is blind to anything good done by the party in government. As an old politician cum astute businessman, the Esama understands this too well and discretion, they say, is the better part of valour.

Well, to me, whatever may have prompted Mohammed going to the Mountain at this “auspicious” time, is good for the polity, especially that of our dear state of Edo. It is high time the political class put aside politics of hate and work in the interest of the people and the state, notwithstanding party affiliation. I was impressed with the Esama when he was quoted in the media as say that “he is the governor of Edo State and I have come to see my governor”. This statement and indeed, the visit itself is in the true spirit of reconciliation on the part of the Esama and I believe the governor will reciprocate accordingly. Yet, the Esama is not celebrating his birthday for the first time with activities running for months and dignitaries thronging his palatial apartment in Benin city from across Nigeria and beyond. But he has never visited the governor in his capacity as the first citizen and chief security officer of the state to formally invite him. This new turn of event or is it change of attitude, may have heighted the suspicion of the people that kept tongues wagging. Like the New PDP in Edo State, perharps, this is a new and born again Esama!

For those who do not know, the Esama is the biological father of the immediate past governor of Edo State, Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion. Yes, I said the immediate past because in the eye of the law, Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor was never governor of Edo State. However, that is a story for another day. At this juncture, let me comment properly on the relationship between the Oshiomhole government and the House of Igbinedion which has been frosty for close to five years. The not too cordial relationship is said to be as a result of government’s determination and courage to say no to business as usual in the state, especially as regards the age-long culture of evading tax with impunity and in the enforcement of the Land Use Act. The government believes no nobody is above the law when it comes to tax matters in Edo state and it has shown that it’s more than ready to enforce it in line with the spirit and letter of the law. If need be, it’s also ready to step on powerful toes and chop off stubborn ones in the interest of Edo. Apparently, this is where the government came in conflict with the Esama who has vast business interests across the state with landed property dotting virtually the entire landscapers of Benin, the state capital.
Again, the octogenarian wittingly or unwittingly believed the state property law which came into effect in year 2013 and the enforcement of the Land Use Act were primarily targeted at him and his business interests. For this, he has been waging a cold war against the state government, using all the arsenal at his disposal, including his TV/radio station and sponsoring protest marches to the state house of assembly against some executive bills.

However, regardless of whatever anybody would have said, thought or believed, that meeting is for our collective good as Edolites because a lot of tension would have been doused and a lot of misgivings would have been laid to rest in the state.

Edo to provide interest free credit to Micro businesses

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday said the state government would continue to provide the needed incentives to attract and support both local and foreign investments into state. Oshiomhole made this known at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Edo Trade Fair in Benin.
He said though land was a basic challenge facing potential investors, his administration had reformed the process of land acquisition and documentation for economic purposes, thus, attracting investors interested in exploring the state’s resources.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, used the event to announce that the processing and issuance of the certificate of occupancy in the state had been made possible within 30 days.
On the promotion of small and medium enterprises, Oshiomhole said the state government had partnered with the Bank of Industry to create N500m soft facility which would provide accessible funds to the SMEs and cooperative societies.
The governor revealed that his administration had provided financial assistance to youths in the state, through the Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme.
He also disclosed that the government had finalised plans to grant interest-free credit facilities to market women and micro business operators in the state, through micro finance banks, as well as the construction of an industrial park, furniture park and specialised market for industrial goods.
He said, “As part of our deliberate policy to engage the organised private sector, Edo State Government will continue to support private initiatives and provide more enabling environment for investment to flourish.
“Our infrastructure base is growing and the required policy frame work that will make Edo a safe haven for investment in the country will periodically be adjusted to meet global standards.
“The task ahead of us is to improve the standard of living of the people; on my part, I have vowed not to renege on my promise of making Edo State the leading investment destination in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the President of the Benin Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Andy Edobor, said the timing of the event was strategic in providing a proper avenue to re-launch the Edo Trade Fair, after five years, and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and break new grounds that would translate into commercial and industrial growth of the state and the nation.
Edobor, however, decried the lack of basic infrastructure at the permanent trade fair site, which was responsible for the setbacks suffered by previous editions of the fair in the state and urged the state government to provide the needed infrastructure for the state trade fair complex, as obtained in other states.
The trade fair, with the theme, ‘Great people, Bountiful resources, Boundless opportunities’, will end on August 17.

Test results negative on two possible Ebola cases in Benin

Cotonou (AFP) - Tests on two patients in the west African country of Benin have proved negative for Ebola, the country's health minister said on Monday.

"The samples that were sent to a specialist hospital in Lagos came back negative," Dorothee Akoko Kinde-Gazard told reporters.

Tiny Benin shares a common border with Nigeria, where 10 people have contracted Ebola. Of those, two have died.

One of the two patients in Benin who presented with Ebola-like symptoms was identified as a Nigerian man. He was treated at a hospital in the capital Porto-Novo.

The other was at a facility in the economic capital, Cotonou, which is just a few hours' drive from Lagos, where all the Nigerian Ebola cases have been identified.

There is significant traffic between the two cities each day, especially among traders.

Both were kept in isolation and under observation pending the test results, Kinde-Gazard's department said last week.

Nigeria is one of four west African countries hit by the Ebola outbreak, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives since the start of the year.