Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, described the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer's visit that heralded the entry of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, into the country, as "pure madness."

This came as the Federal Government appealed to Nigerians not to panic and adhere to the highest possible personal hygiene measures and safety guidelines issued by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, fears that more Nigerians may fall victim of the Ebola virus heightened, yesterday, as the Federal Government confirmed the 10th case of the disease after the death of the index case (the first case), bringing the total number of cases to 10.

The President, who spoke publicly for the first time since the outbreak of the disease in the country, expressed disappointment with the way and manner the late Sawyer brought Ebola to Nigeria.

Late Sawyer, whose arrival in Lagos on July 20, 2014, and eventual death five days later in a private hospital, sparked off the dreaded Ebola Virus saga in the country, was a consultant to the Liberian government.

He was said to be under surveillance in Liberia for a suspected case of the Ebola Virus Disease, but evaded authorities in Monrovia and tragically boarded a plane for Lagos in Nigeria, via Lome in Togo and Accra in Ghana.

His intention, according to reports was to connect to Calabar in Nigeria to attend a two-day retreat organized by the ECOWAS Commission, and later the same week to Atlanta, Georgia in the USA to celebrate his daughter's birthday.

Speaking at the Annual Interfaith Conference in Abuja, President Jonathan, however, assured citizens that the Federal Government was ready to stop the spread of the Ebola virus.

Mad man and his Ebola

"It is unfortunate that one mad man brought Ebola to us, but we have to contain it. As a government, we promise that we will do everything humanly possible to contain the Ebola virus."

Further, the President hinted that the Federal Government had planned to rally the 36 state governors and their health commissioners to rescue the nation from further spread of the disease.

Continuing he said: "On Wednesday, I will meet with governors of the states, and they must come with their commissioners for health. We must make sure that every state is prepared. Where they lack, the Federal Government will support them."

He assured that his discussion with the head of the World Health Organisation, WHO, had given him more information about the virus, assuring the gathering that the virus will be stopped from causing more harm.

"My conversation with the WHO D-G, Dr Margaret Chan was revealing. She said 60 per cent of the transmission was spread during burials. That is why in my announcement; I've been saying that people should be careful about burials.

"Some people like burial ceremonies. This is not the time for burial ceremony, somebody is dead, he is dead, leave him there. This is not the best time for those ceremonies.

"If he is dead, he is already dead, Sawyer that brought this Ebola to Nigeria; his sister died of Ebola, and he started acting somehow, his country asked him not to leave the country, let them observe him, but the crazy man decided to leave and found his way here."

10 Ebola cases in Lagos

Earlier, the Federal Government confirmed another Ebola case in Lagos, bringing the total number of Ebola Virus Disease victims to 10, even as it was disclosed that the number of primary and secondary contacts of the index case placed under surveillance or isolation, had risen to 177, from 139 announced Friday last week.

Giving update of the Ebola situation in the country, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu told a world media briefing in Abuja, that of the 10 cases, two have died (the Liberian American and the Nigerian nurse) while eight are alive and currently on treatment. "This is the situation 22 days since the dreaded EVD first landed in Nigeria," he declared.

Chukwu said all the 10 infected were people who had direct contact with late Patrick Sawyer, noting that at the sub-regional level, the Ebola Virus Disease was discussed as a substantive agenda during the Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on July 9, 2014 in Accra, Ghana.

US$3.5m donation to Ebola Fund

Citing efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the West African sub-region, the Minister remarked that Nigeria, as usual, played its leading, pioneering and compassionate role during the summit with the first and only donation of US$3.5 million humanitarian and capacity building aid to the three affected countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the West African Health Organisation, WAHO, and the ECOWAS Ebola Fund.

The minister, who briefed the press along other ministers -- Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam; Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Special Duties, Mr. Tanimu Turaki and Information, Mr. Labaran Maku said: "Nigeria wishes to emphasise that it essentially remained an Ebola Virus-free country until this incidence of importation and unfortunate contamination. We will continue to work with all stakeholders, local and international partners to maximize on this and intensify efforts to contain and treat the existing cases."

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