With no cure in sight, the fear of the
deadly Ebola Virus Disease has continued to send shivers down the spines
of many Nigerians. Indeed, the recent pronouncement by the Minister of
Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu that the number of Ebola, cases in
Nigeria had risen to 18, after a fourth case surfaced in Port Harcourt,
has further increased the apprehension of many Nigerians on Twitter and
Facebook.
As discussion on the issue intensified on
Twitter, a statement credited to the All Progressives Congress,
spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, where he urged Nigerians to hold
President Jonathan responsible if Ebola cases worsen in Nigeria, has
also angered many commentators.
Mohammed had said, “The President, who
declared a national emergency on Ebola and advised against large
gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus, was the first to flout
his own advice by his failure to stop the rally by the so-called
Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, a few days after
the virus was detected in the city and at a time that contact tracing
was going on to find all those who may have had contact with the medical
doctor victim of the disease.
“On the altar of political desperation,
President Jonathan put the lives of Nigerians in danger. In order to
realise his ambition for re-election, President Jonathan has shown he is
ready to sacrifice as many lives of Nigerians as possible. There goes
the President’s statement that his political ambition is not worth the
blood of any Nigerian. This President simply says what he does not mean.
Reacting to the statement in a tweet, Dr.
Ayo Adesina, wrote, “The Federal Government needs to take Ebola more
seriously as the number of victims keeps increasing in Nigeria.
#EbolaOutbreak #BringBackOurGirls.”
Another commentator, Mystery Robert, drew
the attention of his Twitter followers to the fact that the virus would
enrich a certain class of Nigerians in the end.
His tweet read, “Everybody is just
claiming to be careful of Ebola in the country. But I know Ebola is
makings some groups extremely rich.”
Also, @BossuMela, wrote, “It angers me so much that a cure for Ebola was found only after it started affecting white people.”
Some other commentators, such as Ross
Alobo-George, simply blamed states like Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Kaduna,
for hastily denouncing any Ebola incident in their domain.
Her tweet read, “It is stupid for states
to reassure their people that Ebola is not in their states as if the
states had border patrol. It is in Nigeria.”
On his part, @hugespeed on Twitter, wondered, “Ebola in the South #Boko Haram in the North…which way Nigeria?”
Another comment by @Seyitaylor read, “The
problem with Ebola is that it has left Lagos and gone into Nigeria. If
Abia gets Ebola, Nigeria, better prepare for a long year. There is a
difference between governor and strong man.”
Meanwhile, some people have expressed
disappointment over the sale of fake Ebola test kits branded as ‘Rapid
Response Canada in some parts of Lagos.
The test results from the fake kits are purportedly available in 10 minutes.
They have begun the sale of fake Ebola
Cassette Test Kits in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, @Ayo Sogunro noted in
his tweet. He wrote with a touch of sarcasm, “Ebola virus, Boko Haram
rampage, 2015 elections…keep calm and carry on: everything in Nigeria is
going to kill you.”
On her part, @Miss BeePee put the blame
on the origin of Ebola in Nigeria in a post, which read, “Patrick Sawyer
did not only bring Ebola into Nigeria. He also brought death, tears,
hysteria, and mass stupidity.”
Steven Ogor Nwabuisi @stephenonuwa made a
case for the quarantined patients of the virus. He wrote, “Quarantined
#Ebola patients/suspects must be treated with regard and assisted to
meet with their endeavours, to minimise escape.”
@SDG0610 also wrote, “Polio is now on hold compared to Ebola. So how and what will it take to get the Ebola cure in Nigeria?
But @azimaziba added, “It is a sad story
for Africa and Nigerian physicians, pharmacologists, pathologists and
medical experts are all failures for Ebola cure.”
