PATRICK SAWYER AS A VECTOR

Late Sawyer

Since a Liberian-American Mr. Patrick Sawyer (deceased) ungraciously introduced the deadly Ebola Virus into the Nigerian populace, the country has sadly joined the growing list of panic stricken West African countries battling the epidemic. The death toll has hit four. These include the index case (Mr. Sawyer) and three other persons who had direct contact with him. Two of them were the nurses who took care of him at the hospital he was rushed to in Lagos, Nigeria.

Its been insinuated in some reports and quite correctly it seems that the man Sawyer was on a deadly and purposeful mission when he embarked on the journey to Nigeria that fateful day having earlier lost a sister to the virus and manifesting the symptoms himself. His behaviour at the point of departure, James Sprigg Payne's Airport in Monrovia where he was seen on CCTV to have avoided contact with people shows he was very much aware of his condition before his trip. He was said to have even been warned not to travel by his country's authorities but went ahead in defiance. Why he was ,however, allowed to get on that flight is in itself a very big question. He also exhibited some questionable behaviour at the hospital in Nigeria where he was reported to have intentionally urinated on health workers! But the real reasons for the 'deadly mission' may never be known since he is deceased and cannot offer any explanations.

Decontee Sawyer

The reason offered by his widow, Decontee Sawyer, is nothing but ridiculous and absurd to say the least. According to her the Late Sawyer came to Nigeria in search of better health care than is obtainable in his native Liberia. But knowing that the man also had an American citizenship, one wonders why he did not travel to the United States of America instead. Which better place to get the best medical care than the USA! More so he would have been closer to his family who reside there. But no the man instead chose to come to a country where the health care system is also in shambles. Where the resident doctors in public hospitals had been on strike to press for better remuneration.

The blame for the '"success" of the "Sawyer Mission" does not really rest with him but with both the Liberian and Nigerian Governments. The Liberian Government could have stopped the man from coming to Nigeria but somehow chose not to. The Nigerian Government on their own part as usual failed to be proactive to put measures in place to check people coming into the country since the first case was reported in the West African region several months ago. Describing the man in harsh words like the Nigerian President Jonathan has done is somewhat childish and a bid to cover up for the government's failure in one of its statutory duties to protect the lives of the citizens. According to him " 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."