BREAKING NEWS: Liberian Man, Patrick Sawyer, With First Ebola Case In Nigeria Is Dead

Mr. Patrick Sawyer, a WASH consultant at the Ministry of Finance, who had been quarantined since arriving Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, July 20, 2014 with symptoms of the Ebola virus has died, according to reports.
A Liberian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity said the news of Sawyer’s death was relayed to Liberia by the Nigerian embassy, in the early hours of Friday, July 25, 2014.
The Lagos government health authorities announced on Thursday, July 24, 2014 that Sawyer was being tested for the deadly Ebola virus.

Reno Omokri: Ignore social media propaganda, let me tell you why GEJ is not clueless

New Media, dominated predominantly by Social Media, may not determine who wins elections but it will determine who influences perceptions.

Ask yourself when was the last time you heard a breaking news on TV that had not already broken on New Media?

The fact is that New Media influences perception but as Ekiti has shown us, perception itself is not reality no matter what spin doctors say.

Now, perception may not be reality but if you do not take care of your perception, it will interfere with your reality.

However, perception is not the same as propaganda.

I got a lesson in the difference between perception and propaganda when I went to school in England.

The brochure of the school had a picture of this amazing hall and when I arrived on campus I asked for the whereabouts of that hall and received a rude shock when I was told I was in the hall.

I looked around and it was indeed the hall, but it did not look as grand as it did in the brochure. They had taken the picture of the hall from an angle that emphasized its grandeur. That was an example of perception influencing reality which influenced choice.

Elsewhere in England, a fellow Nigerian student had gone to his university only to find that the halls in the brochure of his schools existed, only not in that school. The school had used pictures of stately buildings. They did not expressly say those buildings were in their campus, but they knew it would be assumed. That was an act of propaganda influencing choice.

But while I remained at my school, the other Nigerian did not.

The moral here is that perception can be tolerated by reality but propaganda will be rejected by it.

The President, as one having the largest Facebook following of any political leader in Africa (almost 1.6 million followers) could engage in propaganda if he were so inclined, but that is not the Jonathan way.

His way is to deliver results while his detractors deliver activity and then let those results speak for themselves.

And the results are speaking for themselves with his Facebook page being the most visited FB profile in Africa, with one single post commanding over 110,000 likes and over 36,000 comments.

For now though, let us consider the word ‘clueless’. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘having no knowledge, understanding, or ability’.

Now, this tag is a major arsenal in the propaganda unit of the opposition. The higher echelon have given their foot soldiers the order to tar the President with this adjective.

Now let us touch on reality for a bit.

In Nigeria, the two states with the highest population density are Kano and Lagos.

Incidentally, these two states are right now being governed by the opposition.

Anybody who knows these two states will attest to the fact that the major issue facing Kano is the sheer number of school age children that are out of the formal education system. It is estimated that there are at least 2 million itinerant scholars known as Almajiri in Kano who do not have access to formal education.

In Lagos, the major issue has been how to deal with the traffic situation that keeps Lagosians trapped in ‘go slow’ thereby depriving the economy off the man hours lost to this unproductive drudgery.

State and local officials have for almost half a decade been ‘clueless’ as to how to resolve these two debilitating municipal issues. The problems have grown in scale each passing year and appeared to be insurmountable.

But there has been a revolution of late which has addressed these two malaise and which is providing a solution in the present while turning adversity to opportunity.

In Kano, multiple schools have been purpose built for almajiris. They are called Almajiri Model Schools. They have Quranic recitation halls, Malams Quarters, libraries, hostels and science laboratories.

These schools are now in operation. They do not follow the traditional curriculum. They have a special curriculum which is built around Islamic education and science. The direction of the schools are determined by the Malam in charge and the only external influence is supervision from the ministry of education.

As a result, they are being utilized and kids are now leaving the streets of Kano to the comfort of the Almajiri Model Schools. Thus, a decades old problem is being solved. Of course it will take many more Almajiri Model Schools to absorb the over 2 million kids outside the formal education system, but now, we have a template that works.
       In Lagos, when Lagosians first heard of the air conditioned trains, they thought it was a rumour, a ruse. Those kinds of things do not happen in Nigeria, they thought.

And then people started boarding the air conditioned trains that take you from one end of Lagos to another. They began taking selfies of themselves in these trains and tweeting or facebooking it.

Soon the news spread like wild fire! You can now escape Lagos traffic by taking the new air conditioned trains. It will stop in Oshodi, it will stop in Agege. It is meant for the masses. It is used by the masses!

And just like that, the number of people who travel by train in Nigeria has increased from 1 million per annum in 2009 to 5 million per annum and growing today.

But the koko of the matter is that these initiatives were the personal initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan in the case of Almajiri Model Schools, and the joint initiative of the President and his minister in the case of the Lagos Air Conditioned Trains or ‘Jonathan trains’ as some call it.

So this man, Jonathan, has in a space of a few years brought about a solution to two of the most pressing and recurring municipal issues facing the most populated areas of Nigeria.

It takes knowledge to come up with these ideas. It takes understanding to implement them. It takes ability to focus on them in the midst of distraction from terrorists and their sponsors. It takes humility to do it in the sphere of influence of the opposition.

The facts above cannot be dismissed.

If these are the acts of a ‘clueless’ person, then we need more cluelessness in Nigeria.

When the Jonathan administration launched the new National Automotive Policy in 2013, the opposition called it a pipe dream. But they were not dreaming when President Goodluck Jonathan became the first Nigerian to publicly drive the new Made in Nigeria Nissan on the 29th of May 2014.

To cover their embarrassment at this feat, they said the cars were not made in Nigeria because not all the components were manufactured in Nigeria. In that case, no country manufactures a car because in this modern age, no single country makes all the parts that make up a car.

Mercedes Benz for instance makes parts in different continents including Africa. The nationality of the car is determined by the location where the final product is put together.

But for the sake of arguments, let us say that these cars are not even made in Nigeria. Is it not a fact that they are in Nigeria, they are inexpensive because of the National Automotive Policy, they are providing jobs for Nigerians and they are designed for our weather and environment?

My people, things are changing in Nigeria and at such breath taking pace that the propaganda of ‘clueless’ cannot sell any more.

Before Jonathan, Nigeria as a nation was importing cement today we are producing enough to meet our domestic demand and have enough left over to export to other African nations.

As the cement is being manufactured, they are put on trains and hauled directly from the factory to Lagos port because the president had the foresight to extend the rail lines to the site of production.

On Monday the 14th of July 2014 the President commissioned the largest rice mill in Nigeria in Nasarawa, the Olam Rice Mill.

 At that event the President said “our commitment is to continue to reduce our food importation bill to the barest minimum. To demonstrate our commitment, I am glad to report to Nigerians that from a total food import bill of One trillion, one hundred billion naira (N1.1tr) ($6.9billion dollars) as at 2009, we have reduced our food import bill to Six hundred and eighty four billion, seven million naira (N684.7billion) ($4.35billion dollars) as at December 2013″.

That Nigeria is changing for the better under Jonathan is a reality. That he is solving decades long problems is a reality. That ordinary Nigerians have seen through the propaganda of the opposition is also a reality.

It is also a reality that they can no longer sell the propaganda of a clueless Jonathan.

In fact, the President’s abilities has begun to shrink the ranks of the opposition as we now read about defections from their ranks to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on a weekly basis.


They confuse the President’s meekness for weakness, forgetting that meekness is power under control ready to be unleashed if and when the situation demands it.

They confuse the President’s thoughtfulness for foolishness forgetting that it is better to think then act than to act then think.

They confuse his tolerance for timidity forgetting that as the leader of the nation he must think of the good of both those who love him and those who don’t while their only thought is for those who love them.

So, let them continue with their propaganda. The best answer to them is one crafted by MKO Abiola of blessed memory who said ‘if you change the name of honey, it will still be sweet’.


Reno Omokri is Special Assistant to the President on New Media.

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID CONTRACTING THE EBOLA VIRUS

By Oche Otorkpa  

Here are a few tips to help every Nigerians protect themselves from the Ebola disease:

1.        Avoid bush meat or any meat you are not sure of its source.

2.       Wash your hands frequently with detergent, soap using clean water.

3.      Avoid trips to Ebola endemic countries (DRC ,UGANDA , CONGO, GABON DRC etc)

4.      Get a hand sanitizer for people to use in your office and educate them on the importance of the sanitizers, Get one for your kids to use in school frequently and if possible for their class.

5.      3. Avoid buying food stuffs, clothing or other personal materials from markets/shops that share the same vicinity with live or roasted bush meat dealer’s or sellers

6.      Be careful with hands when using railings on the stairs, door knobs and other utilities used by the public.

7.      Gloves and other appropriate protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues

8.       Watch out for people with flu-like symptoms such as sudden fever

9.       Avoid Pig farms, Pig farms in Africa play a role in the amplification of infection because of the presence of fruit bats on these farms.

10.   Avoid bat meats and bat products

FOR HEALTH WORKERS

WHO states as follows,

Standard precautions are recommended in the care and treatment of all patients regardless of their perceived or confirmed infectious status. They include the basic level of infection control—hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment to avoid direct contact with blood and body fluids, prevention of needle stick and injuries from other sharp instruments, and a set of environmental controls.

EVD is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of

1.Fever  
2.Intense weakness
3.Muscle pain,
4.Headache and sore throat.
5.Followed by vomiting, Diarrhea, Rash, Impaired kidney and Liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding


Oche Otorkpa is a WHO Trained IDSR Specialist

DEADLY EBOLA VIRUS HITS LAGOS

The deadly Ebola Virus Disease which has killed over over 500 people in West Africa has hit Lagos, the Lagos state government says.

Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, presently, has no cure and is ravaging neighbouring West African countries with many people killed and nations still at risk of the deadly disease.

At a news conference in Alausa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday, Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, told newsmen that a 40-year old Liberian, working for a West African Organiation in Moronvia, Liberia, who arrived Lagos last Sunday is suspected to have the disease.

She said details of the suspected case were obtained from a private health facility in the state, which she refused to mention, saying that history taken revealed that the 40-year old man had no contact with EVD, did not visit any person with EVD in the hospital and neither did he partake in the burial of any person who died of the disease.

“However, on account of working and living in an endemic region for EVD, and the presentation of non-specific constitutional symptoms and signs (fever, malaise, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea etc) associated with EVD, a high index of suspicion was raised.

“Based on this, blood samples were taken to Virology Reference Laboratory, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, on Tuesday. Preliminary results necessitated the confirmation of EVD at a World Health Organisation, WHO Reference Laboratory in Dakar, Senegal which is actively in process,” she said.

According to her, the patient’s condition is considered stale while the health facility had since initiated Universal Safety Precautionary measures to prevent spread of the disease and guaranteed safety of other patients.

Adeshina said the Federal Ministry of Health, including Port Health Services were partners with the state government in areas of contact tracing and other specialised care, urging Lagosians to remain calm and take appropriate measures for the prevention of the disease.

The Special Adviser explained that Ebola virus disease is caused by a virus which natural reservoir of virus is not completely known, stressing that fruit bats have been considered to be the natural host of the virus.

“The virus can be spread through close contact with the blood, body fluids, organ and tissues of infected animals; direct contact with blood, organ or body secretions of an infected person. The transmission of the virus by other animals like monkey and chimpanzee cannot be ruled out,” she said.

Adeshina noted that those at the highest risk of the disease include health-workers; and families or friends of an infected person who could be infected in the course of feeding, holding and caring for them.

She stressed that Ebola virus disease should be suspected in persons who develop bleeding from the body openings like the mouth, nose, rectum and ear; a close contact with a person who is infected; or health worker who had treated either suspected or confirmed infected person.

“Early symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains. Later symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood. It could progress to coma, shock and death,” Adeshina explained.

10 Best Inspirational Quotes from World Leaders

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ---Barack Obama

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." - Dalai Lama  

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela 

Pennies do not come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth-Margaret Thatcher 

We must remain united to win the war against terrorism. Christians, Moslems, farmers, fishermen, herdsmen, teachers, lawyers, clergy or clerics, the rich, the poor and Nigerians from all sections of the country must work together with our security agencies and armed forces to overcome the terrorists who now threaten all that we hold dear.- Goodluck Jonathan

Focus your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little life of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.=Barack Obama
 

I began revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action.-Fidel Castro

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.
 he has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.
An appear is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried
Winston Churchill

If you’re feeling helpless, help someone. ” ― Aung San Suu Kyi

 

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy

You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” ― Winston Churchill