By Jude Ndukwe

At the time of writing this essay, Nigeria has lost 44 of her citizens to the dreaded Lassa Fever which like the equally dreaded Ebola Virus Disease is a haemorrhagic fever that spreads easily from one person to another even at the slightest of contacts. The two diseases need a comprehensive action plan involving the people and relevant agencies, local and international, as led and mobilised by government who deploys all resources necessary, be it human, cash and material, to tackle the menace headlong before it ravages the citizenry. That the disease has claimed 44 lives already within a short period of time shows how deadly it can be.

The Ebola virus which caused a worldwide stir in 2014 and claimed about 11, 000 lives in West Africa alone when the epidemic occurred that year, can be considered to be more fearsome because of the number of casualties it claims per occurrence and its rapid spread to even Europe and the US which also lost some seven citizens together in the outbreak.

However, with all its threats and spread; with all its fame for defying medicine, the then government of Presdient Goodluck Ebele Jonathan rose up to the occasion and confronted that monster with total commitment and vigour, mobilising government agencies, personnel and other resources; sensitising schools, offices, churches/mosques etc while equipping hospitals and other public places with anti-Ebola kits and releasing the sum of N200million each to Lagos and Rivers States which had reported cases of the disease then despite the states being led by APC, the then opposition party, the disease could not do much damage to Nigeria contrary to genuine fears and worry expressed by the international community then.

Although outbreak of the disease was reported in West Africa, precisely Guinea, in March 2014, it did not give the world much concern until it was brought into Nigeria by a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer. The moment the Ebola disease found its way into Nigeria, the alarm bell was rung all over the world because of Nigeria’s population and her lack of expertise to handle such an outbreak.
However, with President Jonathan’s commitment, drive and patriotic approach to the fight against the disease, Nigeria managed to still eventually lose seven of her dear citizens while Europe lost three and the US lost 4. However, Liberia has lost 4,809, Guinea lost 2,536 and Sierra Leone lost 3,955.

Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) commended “…the Nigerian Government’s strong leadership and effective coordination of the response that included the rapid establishment of an Emergency Operations Centre… strong public awareness campaigns, teamed with early engagement of traditional, religious and community leaders, also played a key role in successful containment of this outbreak”, hence, Nigeria was declared Ebola-free on October 20, 2014, exactly just three months after the first reported case.
Thereafter, Nigeria had the luxury of even sending health workers to other sister African nations affected by the disease to assist them combat it.

Furthermore, the WHO Country Director in Abuja, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, described Nigeria’s exemplary handling of the outbreak as a “spectacular success story.” It was, indeed, a commendable achievement.

In spite of all these achievements and accolades poured on Nigeria then for this rare feat, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the then major opposition party, tried several times to politicise the issue and distract the Jonathan administration from focusing on tackling the disease headlong so they could use it as one of their campaign issues against the then president, an issue which resulted in the PDP and Jonathan chiding the APC on different occasions for politicizing what would have been a national disaster on all citizens irrespective of party affiliation, ethnic background or religious leaning but for government efforts.

Fast forward to 2016, and with the outbreak of the Lassa Fever which was officially declared by the federal government in January 2016, despite the Minister of Health saying it has been with us for 6 weeks (as at 8 of January, 2016), yet, the Lassa fever has killed 44 Nigerians as at January 18, and distracted by the so-called corruption cases deliberately churned up by the authorities as a decoy to parry the attention of Nigerians from other urgent national matters, Nigerians do not seem to be asking questions as to why the high fatalities within such a short period of time.
With the death toll of Lassa fever reaching 44 and the possibility of it climbing higher, one can only thank God that Buhari and his party, APC, were not in power when Nigeria and indeed West Africa suffered the Ebola outbreak. It would have been a monumental disaster.

It is sickening, smacks of gross incompetence and a display of high level of crass irresponsibility on the part of our government of the day to be talking about setting up a National Action Committee to tackle the outbreak nearly three weeks after it's emergence was officially declared. The Action Committee would be inaugurated at an Emergency National Council on Health meeting.
The question is, what is “emergency” about calling a council meeting over a disease that has been allowed to ravage citizens for so long?
Why did it have to take the intervention of the Senate via its committee on health for the Buhari administration to be talking of a council meeting to tackle the fever? Why did we have to wait for 44 of our citizens to die before action is being taken? Under Jonathan, Ebola could only spread to three states of Lagos, Enugu and Rivers before it was effectively contained. Why did we have to now wait for this Lassa fever to spread to 10 states before waking up from our slumber?

Surely, there is a lax attitude from this government towards the wellbeing of it's citizens. It is obvious this government lacks any action plan for its citizens whether in health, employment, economy, education, social welfare, infrastructure etc.

When compared to the progress made under the Jonathan administration and the commendations the country received from all over the world with regard to the dogged fight put up against Ebola disease, one would have thought that Nigeria should only improve on that in tackling any disease of similar trait. But with the Lassa fever saga, it has become obvious, and another incontrovertible proof that the “Change” promised Nigerians during the campaigns is nothing but a change for the worse.

Lastly, in the interest of the nation and fellow citizens, I will advise the Buhari administration and the APC to eat the humble pie and approach the PDP for advice on how best to tackle this latest disease before it ravages all of us, and as a responsible and patriotic party, I will also strongly advise the PDP not to withhold any information and or resources from APC when they are approached for advice and expertise. This country belongs to all of us and we must see to it that our citizens are defended stoutly against any disease, no matter how deadly!

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/between-jonathans-ebola-fever-and-buharis-lassa-fever/

The dull'ard and his minister are blaming the last administration for lassa fever epidemic.

Long epistle no go fight these fevers oo

buari dullard is better off as a cattle rearer. APC military govt under buari dullard is d worst tin dat happen to dis con3.

Let's give Buhari sometime na,this guy is still new in govt for God's sake...

One is educated with PhD, the other is a General.
One studied zoology, and the other studied ...ehm ehm....

I don't want to insult anybody as I think GEJ is better equipped in handling such biological issues being educated up to a PhD in the field.
PMB is better equipped in handling security issues, both financial terrorism and lethal forces. He is a General in the field.

Everybody has his own area of specialization

Fashola did a great job in combating Ebola,in case some people forgot how it went.

what do you expect of a man with no educational background!!

Lassa Ebola

It's Fashola that fought ebola more, not Jonathan. If outbreak of ebola had taken place outside Lagos State, the spread would've been enormous. Fashola was said to have ran back to Nigeria from abroad upon hearing of it.

Farnsworth:
Differences
Gmb: 44 people to Lassa fever and counting
Gej: 9 people to Ebola and first country to end it.

63 pipul have so far died of lassa fever under buari dullard.

This divisive and vindictive Buhari/APC government is nothing but a massive disappointment in all ramifications.

Very pathetic...

OrlandoOwoh:
It's Fashola that fought ebola more, not Jonathan. If outbreak of ebola had taken place outside Lagos State, the spread would've been enormous. Fashola was said to have ran back to Nigeria from abroad upon hearing of it.

Lie appears to be in the DNA of most supporters of this inept government...

Can someone please summarise dis?

OrlandoOwoh:
It's Fashola that fought ebola more, not Jonathan. If outbreak of ebola had taken place outside Lagos State, the spread would've been enormous. Fashola was said to have ran back to Nigeria from abroad upon hearing of it.

was it fashola that stopped the Ebola case in rivers state too. or was fashola behind the declaration of Nigeria being Polio Free by WHO. mtweeeew

anath:
Let's give Buhari sometime na,this guy is still new in govt for God's sake...

But GEJ wasn't given time over an Ebola outbreak that was new to Nigeria but rather chose to politicize it, huh? I smell KARMA.

@OP and cohort

Stop the ignorance...

Lassa fever in Nigeria

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2012_04_04/en/

4 APRIL 2012 - At the beginning of 2012, WHO was notified by the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria of an outbreak of Lassa fever. As of March 22, 2012, 623 suspected cases, including 70 deaths have been recorded from 19 of the 36 States since the beginning of the year. Laboratory analysis undertaken at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua Edo State has confirmed the presence of Lassa virus infection in 108 patients. Three doctors and four nurses were reported to be among the fatalities. This information is provisional and subject to change when laboratory results for Lassa fever in suspected cases become...

Remind us again who was president in 2012.

OrlandoOwoh:
It's Fashola that fought ebola more, not Jonathan. If outbreak of ebola had taken place outside Lagos State, the spread would've been enormous. Fashola was said to have ran back to Nigeria from abroad upon hearing of it.

What is wrong with you people? Fashola fought Ebola without the input of the federal government and without advise and instruction from the then Minister for Health? Fashola was responsible for circular that instructed thorough screening of people at all our borders, banks etc. Fashola was responsible for providing funds for the purchase of such equipment?

Sorry my bad, I forgot Lagos was never under the jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, neither was the Lagos State Ministry of Health under the purview of the office of the Minister Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Use your head there is brain in it, just put it to work!

What is wrong with our generation?

Which one is buharis lassa fever and jonathans ebola fever?

Our health care system has failed wether pdp or apc, our hygine system in nigeria is horrible let's change it....and do things right

And for the myopic op, this is not the first lassa out break in nigeria, in 2012 alone over 700people died!

Stop playing politcs with the dead

On one hand there was success, on the other hand there is failure.

The most stupid thread I have ever read. Siwa brought Ebola to naija and most people that got infected had direct or indirect contact with him. Ebola is from bats and other vectors that are not domestic.
A particular specie of rat is the vector for lassa fever and its very common in most homes in Nigeria. This your analysis is like complaining that Delta state has more naval officers than Enugu, a state with no water body in it.

The closes of a disease vector to a population plays an important role in its rate of transmission.


I guess you are waiting to PMB to come and kill the rats in your area.

The death rate is now 63 from 17 States