The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Guinea

  • ‘Ebola: God is our only hope in Liberia’

    For Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, these are not the best of times, considering the impact of the Ebola disease on the countries which are the hardest hit.

    I got an idea of how an average citizen of one of the countries feels about the situation when my colleague, George Sarwah Stewart Jr Coordinator, Media Development Group, Path and Chair of the Liberia Christian Journalists Network, sent me a facebook message saying “we are living in fear and worry in Monrovia.

    “God is our only hope right now. Government can’t stand anyone,” he stated.

    To get the full picture of the situation back in Liberia and his views on the issue, I sent him some questions which he promptly responded to.

    Excerpts from the interview are as follows:

    How will you describe the situation in Liberia and other parts of the country since the outbreak of Ebola disease, especially the death of Mr Patrick Sawyer from Liberia in Nigeria?

    The situation of Ebola in Liberia and three other countries including Nigeria is troubling and threatening to the whole of West Africa.  Specifically for Liberia, the virus has killed farmers, rural community dwellers and health workers.  It has shot down villages and instilled fear in ordinary and impoverished Liberians.

    The virus has disintegrated the Mano River Union Basin and West Africa. There are restrictions and blockage on cross-board travels.  Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea share common borders such as river, parcels of land that allows cross-borderline farming. Along the Mano River, there are same tribal groups, intermarriages and similar cultural practices. These cross-border values and way-of-life are being hampered and cut off to some extent because of the Ebola outbreak.

    West African citizens enjoy free movement with minimum immigration control within the region. Unfortunately, the Ebola virus has extended its wicked hands against the smooth movement of West Africans within their own region.

    What has been the reaction of the people to the declaration of state of emergency in your country and how is it affecting life generally?

    There are mixed reactions.  Some think it’s appropriate, others think it’s belated, while another set wants to wait to see the impact of the State of Emergency on curbing Ebola.  Already, the State of Emergency has taken hold of the country for fact that movement of people from Western Liberia connecting Sierra Leone are prevented from coming to Monrovia by Liberian soldiers. The army has set roadblocks and checkpoints preventing free movement.   Business women are spending their second day at one of the checkpoints 3 miles from Monrovia.

    What are your personal concerns about this issue and what do you think should be done to prevent spread of the disease?

    I am concerned about the late response of our governments against Ebola when the virus could have been contained earlier.  When the virus showed signs in Guinea-Liberia border sometimes in February, it was the most appropriate time for containment, but little was done until the virus killed medical doctors and other health workers as well as poor community dwellers.

    I’m also concerned about the closure of health facilities in Liberia.  This is leading to the death of others outside of Ebola.  There are curable sicknesses taking the lives of Liberians simply because no health facilities.

    Are you hopeful that the problem will be solved soon?

    This is where my faith as a Christian comes in.  Our government is quite confused and has shown no real strength. Only God is able to cleanse our nation and the rest of West Africa of this disease.

    Full text of interview online www.staging.thenationonlineng.net

  • Death toll in suspected Ebola cases hits 84 in Guinea

    Guinea’s health authorities on Thursday said four new Ebola cases have been reported in the country, bringing the total number of cases to 134, out of which 84 are dead.

    The disease is mostly widespread in the southern regions of Gueckedou, Macenta, Kissidougou and the capital Conakry.

    To curb the spread of the epidemic, the government took measures that include setting up medical isolation centres in the affected regions.

    The government also disinfected homes with suspected cases or where Ebola patients have died and mobilised necessary resources to provide individual protective materials to the most affected zones.

    The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had also distributed hygiene kits to schools in areas most hit by the Ebola virus.

  • Maritime security: Africa, U.S, UK naval chiefs meet in Calabar

    Naval chiefs from Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom converged on Calabar on Monday to strategise on ways to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment in the Gulf of Guinea.

    The News agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, expected to end on Wednesday, had no fewer than 14 African naval chiefs in attendance at the Tinapa Lakeside Hotel.

    In his opening remarks, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Dele Ezeoba, said the meeting was called because of challenges and threats to the economic interests of states in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

    He said GoG strategic location informed the decision to collaborate on the security of the region and the convocation of the first Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Conference (RMACC) in Calabar.

    Ezeoba said the GoG had become a source of concern to the region and the international community given its myriad of security challenges.

    He said the threats on regional security included piracy, sea robbery, drug and human trafficking, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft.

    Ezeoba also listed illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, proliferation of small arms and light weapons and environmental degradation as sources of threats in the GoG.

    “Regrettably, these threats constitute serious challenges and adversely impact on the collective maritime governance imperatives and economic wellbeing of nation states in the GoG.

    “It is, therefore, imperative to emphasise that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of insecurity within the global commons.

    “As discomforting as these threats would appear, they are not insurmountable hence the clarion call for the enthronement of constructive, proactive, sustainable and holistic maritime security architecture.

    “Such structure would ensure a secure and safe maritime environment for optimal exploration and exploitation of the abundant maritime resources.

    “These resources are germane for socio-economic growth and national development of the sub-Saharan Africa while providing economic opportunities for the rest of the world,’’ Ezeoba said.

    Ezeoba said the security of the GoG should be anchored on the Yaounde declaration “within the context of extant code of conduct, protocols and memoranda of understanding of the GoG commission, ECOWAS and ECCAS’’.

    “It is only logical that we also place maritime security on the top rungs of our national security priorities.

    “An effective maritime security regime in the GoG must be pitched on core attributes such as the elimination of sea blindness within the African continent, sincerity of purpose, strength of character and above all, the political will of all member-states and stakeholders.”

     

  • Naval chief speaks on Gulf of Guinea

    The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Joseph Ezeoba, has called for closer working ties among Gulf of Guinea states to eradicate criminality in the region.

    The Naval Chief spoke at the maiden GoG Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Conference (RMAC) in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    He said the region was a strategic maritime environment with enormous potential and has persistently faced threats which were directed at the economy of its littoral and landlocked states.

    The threats, he said, have become worrisome, not only to the region but also to the international community.

    Ezeoba listed some of the threats as piracy, drug and human trafficking, oil theft and proliferation of oil theft.

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘More than 140m girls to become child brides in 2020’

    ‘More than 140m girls to become child brides in 2020’

    The United Nations on Friday said that by 2020 more than 140 million girls would have become child brides globally if the current marriage rates continue.

    It warned that little progress has been made towards ending the harmful practise.

    The Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, said of the 140 million girls, 50 million will be under the age of 15.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Osotimehin spoke at a special session on child marriage at the ongoing UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.

    Some of the issues focused on during the session include supporting and enforcing legislation to increase the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years.

    Others are providing equal access to quality primary and secondary education for girls and boys; mobilising girls, boys, parents and leaders to change practises that discriminate against girls among others.

    He said that while 158 countries have set the legal age for marriage at 18 years, laws are rarely enforced since the practice of marrying young children was upheld by tradition and social norms.

    He stated that the practise was most common in rural sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

    The UNFPA Executive Director said that currently, 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are Niger, Chad, the Central African Republic, Bangladesh, Guinea, Mozambique, Mali, Burkina Faso, South Sudan and Malawi.

     

  • Manu: Eaglets set to face Guinea

    Manu: Eaglets set to face Guinea

    The coach of wave-making Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba (MFR), believed his wards would be ready to take on their second round opponents in the elimination matches towards a place at the 2013 African Under-17 Youth Championship to be held in Morocco.

    West African side, Guinea are yet to kick a ball in the qualifiers after getting a draw into the second round on account of their presence at the last African Championships in 2009. Nigeria on the other hand, had missed out on qualifications for both the 2009 and 2011 editions in Algeria and Rwanda respectively.

    But Garba has enthused that the Nigerian team is ready to take on any team following the manner his wards steamrolled Junior Menas of Niger with a 10-1 aggregate score line in the first round.

    “With all modesty, we are ready to take on any team and we don’t mind if it is Niger or Spain,” the usually reserved Garba said matter-of-factly. “In football, there are three areas to measure performance and those are composure, commitment and concentration. We are proud that these boys have these attributes and they can only get better.

    “Whatever the situation is, we have told them never to lose concentration and we are happy that they were not carried away even when they were comfortably leading with four goals against Niger,” he explained, adding that the team is yet to reach its limit.

    “We rested some of the players today against Niger so that we can see what others can do. Above all, we don’t have a first or second team in this Golden Eaglets and this sort of give us the confidence that whoever gets the nod to play would represent the country well,” he noted.

    The Golden Eaglets are expected to play Guinea at home on October 14 with the reverse fixtures in Conakry two weeks later. “We shall be ready for Guinea because our preparations for the upcoming matches are well on course,” Manu stated.

    Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets have been given a three days recess in order for the players to loosen up after a strenuous training regimen.

    “Work and play should go hand-in-hand and we want the players to relax so that they can be refreshed when we commence training again,” an official of the team volunteered.