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Ebola Scare Hits Bayelsa Police Flee As Monkey Owner Visit Station

The fear of Ebola is the beginning of wisdom played out yesterday as a monkey and its owner stormed the "A" division of Bayelsa State Police Command and caused pandemonium. There was confusion as policemen scampered for safety.

This is even as an 18-month-old baby was quarantined in Rivers State.
Monkeys have been identified as one of the animals to be avoided because they harbour the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Checks indicated that the owner of the monkey simply identified as Madam Ebitare, was arrested by a patrol team of the division at Swali market for still selling live and dried monkeys to Bayelsans.

She was said to have been taken to the station and upon arrival, policemen ran for their lives when she alighted from the patrol van with her monkey.
Eyewitnesses said the commotion she caused attracted the attention of some top officers at the station who immediately ordered the patrol team to take her and the monkey outside the premises.

The monkey heightened the confusion when it broke off from its owner, forcing many people who were watching the drama to flee for their safety.

The owner pursued the monkey and caught up with it. Her case was subsequently referred to the Ministry of Health.

A source at the station said the leadership of the division were not aware of her arrest, but on hearing about the incident, they have alerted relevant authorities on the situation.

"The incident shocked many. We have alerted the Ministry of Health on the continued disregard to the purchase of bush meat and eating of bats," he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has assured Bayelsans that the state government will deal with any case of EVD. Dickson said isolation centres established by the state government are ready for any EVD case, urging the residents to remain vigilant and report any case of symptoms to the authorities.

He advised them against visiting traditional healers or prayer warriors over any case of EVD to avoid the spread.

Meanwhile, a baby had been quarantined at the Ebola Treatment Centre in Oduoha community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, disclosed this yesterday, while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on the situation report of the virus.
Dr. Parker said the baby was among those who had primary contacts with the late Dr. Iyke Enemuo, the first Ebola victim in the state.

He also informed that the late Enemuo's sister, Chinyere, who tested positive to the virus, had been treated and discharged from the centre.
According to him, the baby, who was among the high risk contacts, became symptomatic at the weekend and was moved to the treatment centre, but yet to be tested.

"She has been effectively treated, cleared and discharged from our isolation treatment centre. She deserves to be celebrated as a success story. We have successfully treated and discharged an Ebola patient from our treatment centre. She was positive and she has been treated successfully and now negative. She has been re-united with her family members.

"A symptomatic contact was also discharged. He tested negative to the virus and was treated for something else and discharged. Right now, we have another admission, an 18 months old infant; but yet to be tested," he said.

Dr. Parker noted that about 479 contacts were now under watch, adding that 94 per cent of them were already being followed up, adding that the remaining figure would be covered before the end of yesterday. He cautioned members of the public against stigmatisation, saying that malaria kills more people than the Ebola virus.

He asked: "Why don't we stigmatise malaria patients? We have about 479 contacts now, about 94 per cent of them are being followed up by today, we will cover all of them. Our points of entry are now well covered. Activities there have improved and going on very well and our worker fully on ground", he said

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Ebola Outbreak was Started by a Female Herbalist

Health officials in Sierra Leone have blamed the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus on a female herbalist who claimed to have power to heal people of the disease.

The health officials said the disease should not have spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone, but for the herbalist who lived in the eastern border village of Sokoma.

"She was claiming to have powers to heal Ebola. Cases from Guinea were crossing into Sierra Leone for treatment," Mohamed Vandi, the top medical official in the hard-hit district of Kenema, told Agence France-Presse.
"She got infected and died. During her funeral, women around the other towns got infected."

The herbalist's mourners fanned out across the rolling hills of the Kissi tribal chiefdoms, starting a chain reaction of infections, deaths, funerals and more infections.

The deadly Ebola Virus has claimed the lives of more than 1,300 people in West Africa as well as a Spanish Priest who died last week in Spain.

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Ebola Help TB Joshua Sends 4000 Bottles Of Annointed Water 100k To Sierra Leone

Ebola Help: TB Joshua Sends 4000 Bottles Of Annointed Water & $100k To Sierra Leone

Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua announced in his service today that 4,000 bottles of his 'Anointing Water' had reached Sierra Leone and were received by 'government officials', to spiritually fortify the country in their fight against the deadly disease, Ebola.

According to the outspoken pastor, a private jet was chartered to the tune of $50,000 to convey the spiritual items to the Ebola stricken nation yesterday.

An additional $50,000 was also given in humanitarian aid to the victims of the disease, courtesy of Joshua and his 'Emmanuel TV Partners'.

Before ministering to foreign visitors at his 'prayer line' service, Joshua then gave a stern warning to Nigeria about the way the Ebola crisis was being handled.

"Ebola is not Nigeria's challenge," he began. "Our challenge is insecurity. It is a strange ailment. That someone from another country for an ECOWAS meeting and died of Ebola does not mean Nigeria is not safe," he stated, adding that fear mongering in the media was only making matters worse.

"To the extent we talk bad about Nigeria, to that same extent our name is destroyed," the cleric defiantly continued, bemoaning the name Nigeria was being given in the international community because of the news projected.

"This is a country under repair because of what Boko Haram has done to the nation. Don't damage it more. This nation is safe. If there is any challenge, we have what it takes to surmount it," he stated, calling on Nigerians to learn from the way Ghana protected the name of their nation.

He added that two deaths recorded in the most populated African country from Ebola did not merit a state of emergency as announced by President Goodluck Jonathan. "All of this is propaganda," Joshua angrily stated.

"When a little thing happens, you exaggerate it because you are looking for funds. How much can the international community give to us that can redeem the name Nigeria we are soiling? A beggar always remains a beggar. Africa, stop begging – you have what it takes to solve your problems."

Joshua further decried the news that some African nations had closed their borders to the countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, stating that it negated the premise of African unity.

"What is the meaning of African unity? The wound of an African is the wound of all Africans. The wound of one is the wound of all. A nation that stands to solve the problem of other nations will become successful," he added.

"We should rise up and see the wound of others as our wound. Stand up to the occasion and help instead of closing your borders against your African brothers."

Joshua concluded that giving citizens proper education about the disease was important but the spread of the disease should not be maliciously exaggerated.

"That does not mean you should use it to destroy the name of Nigeria as if it is here. It's not! Protection and prevention – that should be our assignment in Nigeria," he said.

The fear of Ebola did not seem to deter foreigners flocking to The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) as nearly 2,000 visitors arrived in Nigeria this week alone to worship at the international church.

According to Joshua, the 'Anointing Water', has been anointed by God to bring healing and deliverance to people. His website boasts a large amount of testimonials from people who have ministered the water and received healing from a vast array of ailments.

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Ebola Scare Bush Meat Joints Owner Laments of Low Income

Entertainment joints in parts of Imo State are now counting their financial loss, as people are no longer interested in consuming bush meat, Suya etc.

Some of the owners of the joints, who made the lamentation while assessing the effect of Ebola Virus scare on their business outfits.

"Since the nation's health officials advised Nigerians against the consumption of bush meat, following the outbreak of Ebola disease, my take home has become abysmally low", Oluchi, the owner of one eatery in Owerri lamented.

Answering a question, Oluchi said that "the situation might be a blessing in disguise, especially as I cannot use gloves to prepare all the Igbo delicacies people come to enjoy in my place".
Meanwhile, people in Owerri are gradually learning to refuse handshake from even their close friends and relations.

Confirming this in an interview, Mazi Damian Nze reasoned that " any time the music changes, the dancing steps must ultimately change and this is what is happening with the outbreak of the Ebola virus".

He however expressed fears that since Nigeria has not gone fully cashless, currencies must continue to exchange hands.

"The nation has not fully gone cashless. The Naira notes must continue to exchange hands. Body contact cannot be completely rules out as scores of people must also go to the market everyday to buy their needs", Nze said.

He appealed to government at all levels to take a more wholistic view of the new problem facing the citizenry, adding that "Ebola is now worse that HIV/AIDS"

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