Nigeria was a merry-go country and free of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) until late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, ignominiously appeared on the scene on July 20 fully aware that he had the disease having had contacts with his sister, who died of EVB on July 8.
He had been suspended from work by his Company, Arcelor Mittal and was supposed to be under isolation, observation and monitoring. With the connivance of Liberia's Deputy Finance Minister For Fiscal Affairs, Sebastian Muah, who cleared him to travel to Nigeria for an ECOWAS convention in Calabar, Mr. Sawyer, who avoided bodily contacts with people at the airport in Monrovia, Liberia found his way to Lagos.
He boarded an Asky Airline plane and became severely ill on the plane and was taken to First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, from the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. Since Sawyer's infamous arrival, Nigeria has lost four people to the Ebola disease: the ECOWAS official, who drove him to the hospital, two nurses who assisted him at the hospital and the doctor, who physically restrained him from leaving his bed after he tried to remove the drip administered on him.Saturday Vanguard asked our teeming readers their views of Mr. Sawyer and captures their interesting views below.
Sawyer is wicked
The man was a very wicked person. He knew that he had the virus and he deliberately decided to bring it to Nigeria. – Joseph Sunday, Interior Decorator.
He needed help
I see Patrick Sawyer as someone who only needed help. He knew he had the disease, but felt he could get a cure in Nigeria without knowing how deadly and serious it was. – Jefferson Aisegame, Banker
His actions
expose our porosity as a nation
The man became famous and will be remembered for a negative cause. His name has become synonymous and associated with the Ebola Virus – a time bomb whose explosion shows our porosity as a nation. I don't think his actions were deliberate. Christopher Urokonweze, Biochemist
He was a thief
I think he's a thief, because he knew he had the virus, yet he deliberately brought it here. He decided to distribute the disease to people. That kind of person is capable of terrible acts. Thank God, he was exposed at the airport. If he had succeeded and mixed up with people in the country without their knowledge, it would have been disastrous. – Chief Gabriel Obi, Trader
He was a terrorist, devil
That man was a terrorist. He was a devil incarnate. He knew he had it and that he was going to die, but he wanted to die with innocent people. If they hadn't caught him here in Nigeria, he probably would have migrated to another country. The man was just out to kill. He is worse than Boko Haram.- Elias Nwoke, Businessman
Sawyer should'nt have left Liberia
I think since he knew his condition and knowing that there was no case of the disease in Nigeria, he shouldn't have embarked on that journey to this country. But maybe what ever the issue brought him here must have been very crucial. – Dr. Adeyinka Adeleye.
He was very wicked
The man knew what he was doing. He knew the disease is deadly and dangerous, still he travelled to Nigeria with it. That man was a very wicked man. We just pray to God to help us. – Victoria Eretan, Nurse
It was sheer wickedness
What he did was sheer wickedness. If he wanted a cure, he should have remained in his country and looked for a cure there instead of coming to spread it here. Now, we are all suffering as a result. I pray the government gets a cure to the disease soonest. – Mrs. Okoro Kate, Trader.
He would have got help in Liberia
What that man did was bad. He wasn't supposed to come into Nigeria with that disease. He should have remained where he was and I believe people would have been able to help him there. – Mrs. Amaka Aniagolu.
EVB has affected our businesses
Since he knew he had the virus, he wasn't supposed to travel. He should have remained where he was.
People are no longer free and this disease has caused bad sales for us. – Olaide Sheriff, Meat Seller
Sawyer was heartless
That man was heartless and wicked. He decided to bring his problem to this country to cause us more problems. What he did was very bad and he did it intentionally. – Akeem Adeyemo, Meat Seller.
He didn't want to die alone
The man just acted like a typical African who wouldn't want to fall alone, so he decided to spread the virus. He wanted people to die with him . – Mr. Fortune Wilson, Businessman.
Episode exposed lapses in our security system
He knew quite well that he had the virus, yet he came into the country with it. This shows the lapses in our security system and how porous our borders are. He didn't want to die alone and his actions have resulted into an epidemic. – Chief P.C Agu, Businessman.
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