GRAPHITTI NEWS COMMENT - Did Patrick Sawyer Knowingly Import Ebola Into Nigeria?

The more the facts emerge surrounding the ill-fated trip which the 40-year old, Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer made to Nigeria in July 2014, aboard the Asky Airline, en route to attending an ECOWAS conference holding in Nigeria, the more one wonders at what exactly prompted a man proven to be under medical examination and already asked by his employer to stay away from work until the infectious phase of the disease passed was cleared by the Liberian Government to travel to another country. 

The exclusive published by PREMIUM TIMES today in its front page supplies more grist to the curiosity mill. It now has emerged that the employer of Patrick Sawyer, ArcelorMittal had asked him to stay away from work, go under the observation of the Ministry of Health and senior government officials were are aware. The report supplies names of specific Liberian officials who played various roles and hard evidence supporting the fact that one level of the Liberian Government or the other, someone knew of Patrick Sawyer's unsuitability for international travels. But despite being under isolation and observation for the deadly disease, the Liberian Government, through its Deputy Finance Minister For Fiscal Affairs, Sebastian Muah, cleared Mr. Sawyer to travel to Nigeria for an ECOWAS convention in Calabar.
The question now must be asked: Did Patrick Sawyer (with the full knowledge of somebody in the Liberian Government) knowingly import Ebola Virus into Nigeria? His alleged behaviour at the point of being confronted with the fact that he had Ebola in Nigeria even makes his behaviour the more curiouser - he allegedly became aggressive, turned disorderly and then took of his pants and urinated on the his handlers in Lagos. That apart, some high up official made calls for Mr Sawyer to be let out of hospital in spite of his condition!

This calls for an immediate and thorough international investigation. The role everyone connected to this incident must be probed but in particular the two men in the Liberian Government who should have stopped Patrick Sawyer from reaching the James Spriggs Payne’s Airport, Monrovia in the first place must be investigated within the ambit of international law and cross-border relations to determine whether or not there is culpability and criminal negligence on any part of the Liberian Government.

Although the Liberian Government has apologized to Nigeria, it is in the interest of fairness and justice that somebody take responsibility for this tragic slip which allowed a sick man to spread death to partners who have shed their citizen's blood on behalf of Liberia.

Then there is the airline Asky itself. If indeed the footage viewed by journalists from The New Dawn in Liberia showed that Patrick Sawyer was visibly ill, why was he allowed onto the flight in the first place.

In all, what has being displayed by all those involved here is the very unsavory aspects of Africa which makes outsiders wonder what manner of people were are. And this is sad and disheartening.

Nigeria and its government officials may put up a brave face for the world, but there si no doubt that privately they would be ruing what manner of mistake allowed Patrick Sawyer to berth in Nigeria with the virus of death.

The onus now lies on the true leaders in both Liberia and Nigeria to demand an investigation into the whole incidence, to uncover the full facts, the remote and immediate causes of this breach in public health and safety across borders. What laws have been broken and how do we forestall future incidences? 

If this is not done, there is no way that Nigerians would not feel betrayed by Liberia as far as the Patrick Sawyer and Ebola Saga is concerned. It is incumbent on Liberia to clear the air, with scrupulously investigated facts.

Finally, the time is ripe that Africans and all of Africa must reject and resist the kind of catastrophic bureaucratic ineptitude which puts other African's lives in danger.