A Passenger in Lagos Boat Explosion Still Missing!

Information says two days after a boat reportedly exploded in Lagos, one of the passengers involved is yet to be found.

The missing person identified as Emmanuel Onu was involved in the accident which injured several passengers who were immediately rescued and taken to different hospitals in Lagos island.

"The boat which was said to belong to Aquitien Oil and Gas, took off from V-Craft Jetty, Lekki Phase One, and while trying to refill gasoline at Capital Oil Jetty at Victoria Island, the engine exploded," Ibrahim Farinloye, Spokesperson, South-West, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

"A relative, Sunday Ezugha, of one of the missing passenger Emmanuel Onu, called and narrated that the owner of the boat Aquitien Oil and Gas could not be reached since the incident occurred.

"Emmanuel Onu has not been found as a report indicated that he was rescued and taken to hospital but his whereabouts is not known till now," Mr. Farinloye added.

Nigerian Research Firm Submits Sample Drugs to FG!

A pharmaceutical research center in Abuja, Ben Amodu Firms and Research Center, yesterday said it has submitted drug samples to the Federal Government that have the efficacy to tackle Ebola virus.

The Chairman of the Center, Pharmacist Ben Amodu, said the center had produced drugs for the treatment of haemorrhagic fevers, which could also be used for Ebola virus. He said the drugs have been submitted to the committee set up by the minister of health recently on Ebola adding that the drugs could cure Ebola virus.

"We gave the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and World Health Organization (WHO) samples of the drugs but the WHO later phoned and said they were not supposed to verify Ebola drugs. I gave samples to the committee set by the Minister of Health on Ebola virus and I hope that due process will be followed in determining the cure for Ebola."

He said the Center was into research of neglected tropical diseases, adding that the drugs made by the Center had the efficacy to cure Ebola symptoms.

He said, "We got the drugs that cure Leishmaniasis and they have been previewed. We invented a drug, DAABS 2 which also cures Dangue fever which is viral Hemorrhagic fever and as you know Ebola is also a viral Hemorrhagic fever. Their symptoms include fever, intense weakness of the body system, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and internal and external bleeding.

If you remove the bleeding aspect the disease becomes typhoid and hepatitis. The International Organisation for Scientific Research based in US, Japan and India have also previewed us for the management of hepatitis A,B,C,D,E and F, of which we have treated so many people. We have a drug that stops bleeding, including those from cervical cancer and uncontrolled menstrual flow.

Our drug called SAABMAL was tested by the World Health Organization to have 97 per cent effectiveness in all forms of fever symptoms, including dengue, malaria and Ebola. It presently cures typhoid. Another drug, TAABS 2 also has effects on fever while SAAB 6 has very strong Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as confirmed by National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD). Also one other drug SAAB is a very good immune booster."

Source: Daily Trust

Nigeria Records First Ebola Survivor!

The doctor who treated Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought Ebola into the country, at First Consultant Hospital, and was subsequently infected with the virus, has reportedly recovered and has since been discharged from the Isolation centre in Lagos.

The doctor was the first Nigerian infected with the virus and had been receiving treatment at the Isolation centre.

The Director of Communication and Community Mobilisation for the Nigerian Emergency Operation Centre on Ebola Virus Disease, Adebayo Onajole, confirmed that the doctor had been discharged.

He however declined to give further details, saying the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, would hold a press conference later tonight to fully brief the media about the doctor's recovery.

The spokesperson to the Minister of Health, Dan Nwomeh, also confirmed the development.

"Yes, yes, that's true. I'll send you a statement on that immediately," Mr. Nwomeh said.

The patient, understands, was discharged following series of laboratory investigations that declared him fit to go home.

Nigeria has recorded 10 cases of the disease out of which four people have died; six persons were quarantined while 169 others have been kept under surveillance.

The patient was among the six people receiving treatment at a Lagos treatment centre.

The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu had on Thursday told journalists that some of the patients were already responding to treatment.

Nigeria was free of Ebola until July 20 when Mr. Sawyer arrived.

He became terribly ill on his flight and was rushed to the First Consultant Hospital Obalende, Lagos, where he died on July 24.

Mr. Chukwu had said on Monday that although the Liberian government has apologized for the incidence, it was pertinent to note that Nigeria was free of Ebola Virus until its importation by the Liberian-American.

Mr. Sawyer's action, he said, has placed unnecessary stress on Nigeria's health system.

An apparently angry President Goodluck Jonathan also described Mr. Sawyer's action as "madness".

Since the Liberian's death in a Lagos hospital, three other persons who had contact with him have died of the virus.

President Goodluck Jonathan has since declared a national emergency on the disease while the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with health ministries in the 36 states are working to prevent the spread of the virus, which has killed over 1,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Source: PREMIUM TIMES 

'False Alarmist' Indian Doctors to Leave Nigeria!

Daily trust reports that the four Indian doctors who raised a false alarm of having being forced to treat Ebola patients will be leaving Nigeria today with the Indian High Commission facilitating their return, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported, quoting an official.

Spokesperson of the Indian ministry of external affairs, Syed Akbaruddin, said the four doctors who are employed by Primus Hospital are leaving after the Indian High Commission facilitated the return of their passports which had been taken away by the hospital authorities.

On Wednesday, Akbaruddin had clarified that no case of Ebola had been reported in Abuja, where Primus Hospital is located. He said there were a few cases of the disease in Lagos, which is hundreds of kilometers away.

He had also clarified that with the hospital being Indian-owned and the doctors also Indian, the doctors had the choice to leave their jobs.

When contacted, Director of the hospital, Mr Sunny Ukachukwu, confirmed that the four Indian doctors would be leaving to India with the help of the high commission.

He said it was unfortunate that the doctors were allowed to return home without first issuing a public apology for raising a false alarm on Ebola.

Suspected Ebola Case in Kwara Tests Negative!

The Kwara State government said its currently free from the deadly Ebola Virus. This came following the receipt of negative test result on the only suspected case of the disease from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH ).

Special Assistant on Information to the State Governor and member, Kwara State Committee on the Prevention & Control of Ebola Virus, Deji Oni, made the announcement in Ilorin on Saturday.

Speculations had been agog in the state some days ago about a reported case of ebola infection in the state.

"As a responsible and responsive government, we swung into action by closing down the hospital where the suspected case was reported and immediately isolated the patient at the Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin where necessary medication was administered on the child and the blood sample taken to Lagos to ascertain what the real cause of his sickness," Mr. Oni said.

"The test result from LUTH has subsequently proven negative. Effectively, Kwara has no confirmed case of Ebola at the moment. However, the public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspected case to the nearest hospital while continuing to take precautions against infection."

The statement added, "We wish to remind the general public that shortly after the country recorded the first case, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, as a proactive measure, inaugurated a 14-man Committee on the Prevention and control of the virus in the state.

"He also ordered the immediate procurement of laboratory equipment and reagents which are already stationed at the Harmony Advanced Medical Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin.

"Also purchased were personal protective equipment for health care givers who well motivated to deliver on the job.

"The State also set up three Isolation Centres, one each in the three senatorial districts -Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, General Hospital, Omuaran and General Hospital, Okuta. A special training was also organised for health care givers on how to handle Ebola patients.

"Presently two ambulances have been dedicated to handle any suspected case of the virus."

Meanwhile, the state said it set up a seven-man committee, headed by the chairman of the Local Government in each of the 16 local government areas of the state, on the Prevention and Control of the Ebola virus.

"We wish to assure the good people of the state that as a responsible and responsive government, we will continue to keep the populace adequately informed about efforts at keeping this dreaded virus at bay in the state," Mr. Oni said.

Source: Premium Times

NMA Dares Jonathan, Asks Resident Doctors to Reject Sack Letters!

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has ordered all resident doctors to reject the federal government directive and not collect any sack letters from the management of their hospitals.

After a meeting by the association's National Officers' Committee, NOC, on Friday, the doctors were also advised not to sign any register opened by the Nigerian government or any hospital.

On Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the sack of about 16,000 resident doctors in Nigeria.

Resident doctors are also members of the NMA, which has been on strike since July 1.

The directive by Mr. Jonathan was stated in an internal memo dated August 13 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, L.N. Awute. The memo was addressed to tertiary hospitals.

Mr. Awute said the directive was given in a view of the challenges facing the health sector while hospitals could employ part time doctors (locum) who must be of 'good behaviour'.

The memo also contained a sample of sack letters to be issued all the resident doctors in the different hospitals.

"In compliance with this order, I am to regrettably inform you that your appointment in this hospital is hereby terminated forthwith," the permanent secretary said in the specimen sack letter she asked hospitals to issue resident doctors.

However, the NMA, in its resolution, ordered medical doctors to not apply for part time job as directed by FG's circular.

"For the avoidance of doubt, no medical doctor no matter how hungry, should pick up any locum appointment with the government hospitals as directed by the circular. Any doctor who flouts this directive, does so at his/her own peril," the association said.

All doctors were also directed to remain committed to volunteering to help contain the Ebola Disease outbreak in Nigeria.

The association also advised the Nigerian government to ensure that people under the deadly disease surveillance do not travel outside their domain of residence.

The NMA also admonished all its members to remain calm and wait for further directive from the association.

The association condemned the president's directive and asked him to withdraw the suspension circular and unconditionally reinstate all the 'so-called sacked' resident doctors.

It demanded that the government show commitment in resolving current impasse with the association rather than resorting to punitive measures that will only further aggravate the already deplorable situation.

The federal government had in its circular indicated that the resident doctors were being sacked because the government was suspending residency training "indefinitely."

The NMA, however, advised that rather than abolish residency training, government should show more commitment towards improving the already poorly funded programme.

Family of 5 Die Mysteriously in Abeokuta!

Tragedy struck in Sabo area of Abeokuta on Friday as the whole neighbourhood of Temidire woke to the mysterious death of a family of five.

Leadership WEEKEND  reported that the incident happened at No 3, Ireti Akinbode Street of the community, it was gathered that the polygamous family of late Aliu Adeoye had been wiped out, with the exception of the children of the senior wife.

The story: 

The whole community woke up to find out that the five people were dead while, the elder wife and her children were safe. Members of the community who spoke with Leadership on condition of anonymity alleged that the incident was shrouded in mystery.

They however said the death might be as a result of fumes from a generator.

"Some people are saying it was the fume from a generator; they use generator but it is always at the side of the house, as you can see the compound is not gated. But one thing is that the wives are always fighting, cursing each other, it has gotten to a stage that the community leader had to intervene but all to no avail. There has never been peace among them," a neighbour said.

She explained that the first wife, whose name could not be ascertained, fainted on seeing the tragedy and was rushed to a nearby maternity centre in Sabo area where she was said to have been revived.

But the tide turned against her as she was nearly lynched by members of the community who had gathered at the maternity centre, pointing fingers at the surviving wife, but was saved by the quick intervention of police officers from Ilupeju Divisional Police Headquarters who quickly moved her to an undisclosed hospital.

When the community was visited, the whole area was deserted as no one was ready to speak with journalists but was later directed to the zonal leader of the community who incidentally was the Arabic teacher of the deceased children.

The leader, Alhaji Abubakar Olowoorioke explained that they were in the mosque in the early hours when a woman alerted them, only to get to the scene and found the dead bodies of the deceased. Olowoorioke explained that he could not move closer to the place again because of the shock, but added that odours of chemicals could be perceived from inside the house.

"It was a surprise to us when we got to the place but what we observed was that there was an odour like an insecticide chemical and we had to rush out but someone told us that it could be the fume from the generator," he explained.

The police public relation officer in Ogun State confirmed the information but added the cause of the death was still not clear and that medical examination of the bodies will reveal the cause of death.

"The police found the body of five people in the building this morning, the cause of the death is yet unknown. We also heard an allegation that some people wanted to lynch a stepmother to the deceased children and nearly set the building ablaze.