Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has said that the successful
containment of Ebola in Nigeria is not the work of President Goodluck
Jonathan or the Peoples Democratic Party
Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola pictured with Ebola
survivors, Dennis Akagha, Dr Fadipe Akinniyi, Dr. Ibeawuchi Morris, Dr.
Adaora Igonoh and Kelechi Enemuo(Vanguard
The recent claims by President Goodluck Jonathan that his administration conquered Ebola have elicited a response from Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, where the first case of the disease was recorded.
Governor Fashola reportedly said during his Independence Day address yesterday, October 1, that politicians cannot take credit for a battle that was won by health workers.
He said:
“I
have heard some stories emanating from campaign podiums with claims of
conquering Ebola,” “The question we must ask is whether those who make
these claims saw Ebola?
“It is women like
Stella Ameyo Adadevoh to whom such a claim rightly belongs. “It is
young Nigerians like Dr. Morris Ibeawuchi, who first made contact with
the index case patient and continued to treat him who saw and conquered
Ebola.
“He got infected, from doing his
job, got sick, survived and is back to his job. “It is first responders
from the Lagos State Ministry of Health like Dr. Jide Idris, Dr. Yewande
Adesina, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Dr. Kayode Oguntimehin who saw Ebola.”
“They
responded to the call from First Consultant Hospital. They spent 12
(Twelve) hours daily in the early days supervising the construction of
Ebola containment facility when the epidemic broke.”.
“Those patients vented their anger on these
people when they had to be moved to create room for the Ebola centre. I
know they spat at Dr. Adesina for doing her job.
“Dr.
Abdul-Salam Nasidi of the National Disease Control Centre in Abuja saw
and conquered Ebola. He helped in no small way to co-ordinate the
containment.”
“Dr. David Brett-Mayor of
the World Health Organization saw and conquered Ebola. He single
handedly started the Ebola isolation ward having cleared and cleaned the
room. He admitted and cared for the patients before any Nigerian doctor
joined him.”
“Professor S. A. Omilabu,
the dedicated virologist at LUTH, saw Ebola and conquered it. He
coordinated the fault free testing for Ebola and managed all the samples
professionally.
“Peter Adewuyi saw Ebola
and conquered it. He led the contact tracing team of many dedicated
officers for the first 2 (two) weeks.
“Mrs.
Funmi Lagbokun, Mrs. Modupe Aiyedun Davies, Mrs. Basirat Adeoye, Ms F.
O. Bamgboye, Mrs. K. O. Oshisanya, Mrs. Kazeem Abioye, Mrs. Abiola
Lasaki and Mrs. K. Adeshina all saw and conquered Ebola.
“They
were the dedicated team of nurses, nursing aid, care giver, health
assistant and hygienist who commenced work voluntarily in the Ebola
containment ward without any demand other than the sense of duty.
“Yemi
Gbadegesin and Abdulsalam saw and conquered Ebola. They coordinated the
de-contamination, removal and burial of the index case and other cases,
and it is because of them that First Consultant can re-open for
business.
“Dear Lagosians, these were the people who saw and defeated Ebola. Let no person tell you otherwise.
“These men and women, who showed courage, who risked their lives are our true champions and heroes.
“They
showed the spirit of service, the spirit of Lagos and the spirit of our
“good old days”. “Nobody should take this credit away from them.
“They
are not celebrating because they know that the work is not finished.
They are already working with our people and planning to volunteer to go
and give help in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“Their reward for hard work will be more work and they tell me that they are ready,” Mr. Fashola added.
President Goodluck Jonathan said
during a PDP rally in Edo state on September 27 that his administration
would crush Boko Haram just like it had conquered Ebola.
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