EBOLA-President of Liberia Has Apologised to Nigeria re: Patrick Sawyer (Naturalized US Citizen)

The president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has apologised to Nigerians over the visit of Patrick Sawyer, the Ebola victim who sneaked into Nigeria and consequently infected some Nigerians with the virus. She said that Sawyer was on surveillance in Liberia, but sneaked out of Liberia and came to Lagos, where he died 24 hours later.

The apology by Johnson-Sirleaf was disclosed by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeem Mohammed, who briefed journalists in Abuja on Thursday. Also present at the briefing was the Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria, Prof. AL- Hassan Conteh who pleaded with the FG to stop the embarrassment and stigma Sawyer’s action had caused Liberians living in Nigeria. Conteh said since the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, media and port workers have discriminated and harassed Liberians, and he called on the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to help save the situation.

He said, “The fact that the person who brought the disease was from Liberia does not mean all Liberians were positive of Ebola Virus Disease. The Liberian President had put measures in place by declaring 90 days emergency in the country beginning from August 6 to strategize on how to stop the spread of the disease to other countries.”

The scope.com