The Liberian government has appealed to
Nigerians to show understanding to its citizens
on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease.
A Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, imported the disease
to Nigeria, which has led to the death of the
matron who attended to him at a Lagos hospital.
The doctor, who attended to the late Sawyer,
has also tested positive to the virus. There are
also other five cases of the virus.
Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria, Prof. Al-Hassan
Conteh, made the appeal yesterday during a
meeting between Minister of Health Prof
Onyebuchi Chukwu and foreign missions.
Conteh also informed the gathering of the
efforts of his home government in containing
the virus, which included the declaration of a
state of emergency.
He also asked for protection for his people in
Nigeria, stressing that reports have indicated
that Liberians are being harassed.
He said: “The President of Liberia declared last
night the state of emergency in Liberia effective
August 6th, 2014 for 90 days to institute extra
ordinary measures in combating this disease.
“The measures are indeed extra ordinary, even
to the extent of under our constitution of
curbing certain rights of individuals to pot this
disease to an end.
“I would like to appeal for the indulgence of
Nigerian government. The attention of our
embassy has been brought to several cases of
harassment of Liberians, especially in Lagos and
other places.
“The harassment is based on stereotyping,
sometimes expression of collective guilt. I think
as we combat this disease, I would like to
recommend that our responses in the public
campaign to indicate that association is not
causation.
“So, that the index case came from Liberia does
not mean all Liberians in Nigeria have Ebola.
People have been harassed.
“I would like to commend the media; they have
been very effective but there is one case I will
like to bring to your attention, that is The Sun
newspaper of Sunday, a cartoon, it is a very
funny cartoon but it is based on this collective
guilt we are talking about.
“The cartoon illustrates a plane that has just
landed and people are running from the plane,
and a man said: ‘There is a man who looks like a
Liberian inside the aircraft, run, run, run, Ebola!’
“We join you in this fight and Liberia is playing
its part but I would like to appeal to you
because there are law abiding Liberians living
with you here in Nigeria who have been
harassed. So, I appeal for your indulgence as
you frame your responses, especially on radio
because people have been making derogatory
remarks that have been brought to our
attention.”