Nigeria Records Third Ebola Death - ECOWAS Staff Who Helped Patrick Sawyer Passes Away

Nigeria Records Third Ebola Death - ECOWAS Staff Who Helped Patrick Sawyer Passes Away

Another Ebola death has just recorded in Nigeria from the outbreak brought into the country by Liberian Patrick Sawyer. The ECOWAS Lagos Liason office, announced that one of their staff, Mr Jatto Abdulqudir, has passed away.
In their statement, the management said the 36 year old man was among those who assisted the late Liberian Patrick Sawyer when he came to Lagos for a regional meeting.
Mr. Jatto Abdulqudir was quarantined after Sawyer died of the deadly disease but was already sick of Ebola. He died today in the Lagos Isolation Hospital.
His death brings to three the total number of deaths from Ebola in Nigeria. The first two victims were Patrick Sawyer and a Nigerian nurse who was among those that attended to him at the First Consultants Hospital Obalende Lagos.
Find the full text of the ECOWAS statement below...

"The ECOWAS Commission announces with deep regret the passing of a staff member of its Lagos Liaison Office, Mr. Jatto Asihu Abdulqudir, aged 36. Mr. Abdulqudir, a Protocol Assistant, was among those who assisted the Liberian delegate to a regional meeting Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who died from the Ebola Virus Disease at a Lagos hospital on 25th July 2014.
“Mr. Abdulqudir had been under quarantine following that sad incident.
“The Commission wishes to use this opportunity to express its gratitude to Nigerian government authorities and others who contributed to managing the late official while under quarantine. The Management of the Commission wishes to commiserate with Mr. Abdulqudir’s family and colleagues and prays for the repose of his soul.
"Before this sad event, the Commission working in collaboration with Nigerian health authorities, had disinfected all the facilities of the ECOWAS Lagos Liaison Office as part of precautionary measures to safeguard the health, safety and security of staff members, and will continue to monitor the situation.
“Management has also intensified awareness campaign among staff on the deadly virus and uses this opportunity to invoke the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance.
“The Commission wishes to reassure staff of all Community Institutions all over the entire region that it is taking all necessary steps to guarantee their health and safety.
“Furthermore, Management enjoins all staff members and community citizens in general to intensify the observance of personal hygiene. They should also report any suspected case to health facilities and seek medical advice or attention for the effective containment and defeat of the Ebola disease.
“On the directive of regional leaders, ECOWAS has already set up a Solidarity Fund to fight the disease and has solicited the support   contribution of Member States and development partners to the Fund to rid the region of the virus.
“The ECOWAS Commission wishes to reiterate its continued commitment to support Member States in confronting this deadly virus.”

Meanwhile, President Jonathan called Patrick Sawyer a 'Crazy Man' when he condemned the first Ebola victim in Nigeria for coming to the country despite the fact that health practitioners in Liberia warned him not to before his travel. The president made this statement at the annual Interfaith Conference in Abuja yesterday. He said,

“As a government, we promise that we will do everything humanly possible to contain the Ebola virus’’.
“On Wednesday, I will meet with governor of the states, and they must come with their commissioners of Health along. We must make sure that every state is prepared, where they lack, the federal government will support them.”
“My conversation with the WHO DG, 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.”