The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Liberia

  • Why we are distributing $18m worth of medications in Nigeria, Congo and Liberia—-Modupe Ozolua

    Why we are distributing $18m worth of medications in Nigeria, Congo and Liberia—-Modupe Ozolua

    EMPOWER 54 FOUNDER, MODUPE OZOLUA, IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF PROVIDING SUCCOR TO THE MILLIONS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN CRISIS HIT NORTH-EAST NIGERIA. HER LATEST EFFORT ADDRESSES THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF THESE VULNERABLE NIGERIANS IN WHICH MEDICATIONS WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SHIPPED INTO THE COUNTRY FOR ONWARD DISTRIBUTION. IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH OUR DEPUTY EDITOR, NATION'S CAPITAL, YOMI ODUNUGA, SHE SPEAKS ON HER PASSION AND DESIRE TO ETCH SMILES ON THE FACES OF THE IDPS SCATTERED ACROSS THE NORTH-EAST AND OTHER PARTS OF AFRICA. EXCERPTS:

    IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WHILE SINCE YOU LEFT FOR THE UNITES STATES, WHAT BRINGS YOU BACK TO NIGERIA THIS EARLY IN THE YEAR?_

    I am on a working trip in Africa because we are conducting humanitarian activities in three African countries in 2017; Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

    Nigeria is my first stop because we have a program called, “Empower 54Gives” through which we are donating six 40 feet containers of medication worth over $18m, each container is worth $3m to the countries we work in, with each country receiving two containers each.

    40- container

    Amongst our humanitarian activities in Nigeria, we decided to continue supporting our programme for malnourished children in Borno State by taking one of the containers there. The container has been cleared and the Governor of the state, Kashim Shettima, was very gracious to take care of the logistics associated with clearing and transportation it to Maiduguri which we greatly appreciate.

    The items are currently in the warehouse of the Ministry of Health where the staff are busy collating the data and taking inventory. When we finish, we will put together a distribution road map based on areas of need for nutritional and health support with information obtained from the Borno ministry of health and Nigeria army.

    We will consult with our partners in the humanitarian group which will also work with us identify any additional areas in dire need of what we have brought, then review the communities, identify those we will distribute to and commence distribution. On February 4th, we did a small distribution at the Muna IDP camp in Maiduguri during which we gave the IDPs some specialised nutritional meals, given to us by one of our partners. It has combination of rice, vegetables and very rich in nutrients that helps rebuild the immune system. We gave out some of those and some multivitamins including clothing donated by people for the IDPs.

    Muna camp

    One is curious to know why medications worth that huge amount are being distributed to only the IDPs in Borno State. Don’t you think other states should benefit from this?

    Since our conception in 2003, we have conducted countless humanitarian activities; when we we got involved in the IDP programmes over two years ago, we did empowerment programmes in Gombe and Adamawa states. Based on their skills, we gave out sewing machines, gave them money to start businesses, rebuilt schools destroyed by Boko Haram, rented homes for people, established schools in IDP camps, etc. So, it Is not as though we do not work with other states having IDP related issues.

    Those IDP programs were clearly not health related, outside of our significant role in the successful evacuation of malnourished children from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment in June 2016, this is the first time we are rendering health related humanitarian aid to IDPs. When we worked with the state government to evacuate malnourished children from Bama, that got us involved in the health space of their rehabilitation. also remember that our background is in health programs. When we were created in 2003 and called BEARS Foundation, we did a lot of free medical missions and corrective surgeries of children and adults with deformities. So, donating supplements and medication shouldnt be a surprise to anyone as we are very familiar with such humanitarian assistance.

    packing 7

    Although there are many IDPs in various states, including mine, Edo State, everybody’s needs are different. I have not heard of anyone saying that the IDPs in my state are malnourished. So, it does not make sense that we take such nutritional meals and medications that at this point are more needed up North to where they are not. As a committed organization, we will do what we can to help people, IDPs or not; however, the second container scheduled for Nigeria, will be distributed amongst other states. The beneficiaries don’t have to be IDPs. There are many sick that need the meals and people dying in hospitals all over Nigeria due to poor health. When the time comes, we will identify the states to benefit from the second container designated for Nigeria.

    HOW SURE ARE YOU THAT THE MEDICATIONS WILL GET TO THE IDPS?

    Since we commenced humanitarian activities in 2003, it’s our policy NOT to hand over humanitarian aid to any government agency or any other organisation to distribute on our behalf. We do it ourselves despite it being very tedious. However long the hours or terrible the weather is, we distribute every item directly to each beneficiary. Once we have the road map of the communities we are taking the things to, with the full support of the military and state officials on ground, we will give
    every bottle of supplement and nutritional meals to each person by hand. Now, what they do with it after receiving it is a whole different story.
    We are not a lazy organisation. We take our time, put in the work, we will give the items to the beneficiaries directly.

    Truck with cargo

    What are the other medications in the container?

    We have a lot of multivitamins, folic acid for pregnant women, multivitamins to help with heart and liver care, different variations of vitamins C, A, D, D3, E, antibiotics, Sudafed for children, stethoscope for medical students, ear, eye supplements, supplements for men and women over 50yrs old, multi vitamins for children, gloves,
    syringes,…the list is LONG! We have everything for everything.

    THERE ARE MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES FACING ONE CRISIS OR THE OTHER, YET YOUR ORGANISATION HAS PICKED CONGO AND LIBERIA AS BENEFICIARIES OF THIS GESTURE. WHAT INFORMS THIS CHOICE?

    I also get asked why are we conducting humanitarian aid in Nigeria because people’s opinion of Nigeria is that government officials are corrupt and not helping their people; so we should give to others countries that need the aid more. When you talk about Congo, their rate of malnutrition is higher than what we have in Nigeria. Do follow us on Facebook, Instagram and twitter to receive accurate statistics about different parts of Africa. For example, did you know but East African
    men have the highest rate of breast cancer in Africa? We put a lot of educational data on social media to educate people and let them understand what is going on in other parts of Africa. Our mission is not to cater to the needs of Nigerians alone, we are an African orientated non-profit organization. Our service is to Africans irrespective of
    where they are.

    HOW WILL YOU FEEL IF YOU LEFT THIS COUNTRY AND LATER GET TO KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE ITEMS NEVER GOT TO THE PEOPLE INTENDED?_

    That wont happen. We do not tolerate that. For the last four days we have been itemizing, checking our packing list, confirming the quantity. For safety, the key to the warehouse is with officials from Borno State ministry of health and they are used to keeping high value cargo for many organizations. I don’t believe anything will go missing. It is going to take all teams about two weeks to come up with a proper distribution plan. For example, one of our partners, Vitamin Angels, gave us vitamins A which is for deworming children and help with vitamins A deficiency and albendazol to treat 36,000 children. That was not in the container. Imagine the magnitude, the number of people that will benefit from what we have brought. There is no room for mistakes. A clear plan is going to be made in partnership with the state government,
    military, members of the humanitarian team and we are going to distribute after the suggested locations get approved by our headquarters in Atlanta.

    vitamin c

    WHERE DO YOU GET THE MOTIVATION TO DO THIS AFTER THE CHALLENGES  EMPOWER 54 FACED IN YOUR LAST VENTURE IN THE NORTHEAST?

    When I left Nigeria in June last year after we evacuated those children in Bama, I was very angry. You know that kind of anger that you don’t know whom to vent your anger at? We risked our lives to go to Bama on five different trips. That was ten times on the same road that Boko Haram ambushed UN officials. I went with my son, my only child.

    My son came to Nigeria to volunteer, my staff are family people; we all risked our lives along with some commissioners from Borno State that work with us on the evacuation on the instructions from governor Shettima. A report came out and suddenly, everything we did was completely discredited. If we had been ambushed on that road, shot or killed, people would say “who sent them to go there?” Suddenly, the lives of over 1800 malnourished children and family members we evacuated from Bama didn’t matter. All that mattered was a controversial report which created room for people to create loads of lies, false accusations and slander against both the state government, Empower 54 and my person; simply because according to them, “I told the world about the malnourished children in Bama!” If people had so much resentment for us saving those children’s lives and showing their images as a call for action to the world to help Borno IDPs, why didnt they reject all the funds immediately injected to help malnutrition in the region? Which by the way, we were never recipients of any of such funds.

    At the end of the day, we don’t do what we do because we want to be thanked. Yes, I was extremely disappointed in the way many things were handled but my anger motivated me to ensure Empower 54 does more. If some people felt their attacks were going to demotivate us, they were obviously wrong. Instead we returned with a 40feet container gift to Borno State with over $3M worth of medications and nutritional meals with the blessings and support of Governor Shettima.

    Personally, my motivating factor is my sympathy for underprivileged people irrespective of the cause of their plight. That is why i have been personally funding and participating in humanitarian activities of rover 13 years. When i see women suffering, my thought is, “This could be be. Wouldn’t i want someone to help me? When I see children suffering, i think of my son. It is simply by the grace of God that we are able to help others.

    Fortunately, I am not the only one motivated by this sentiment. Our Empower 54 family, various boards, our Patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, our global goodwill ambassador, Kat Graham of Vampire Diaries, staff and volunteers in various parts of Africa and America share the same vision.
    Challenges? The best victories in life come with challenges. How do you truly declare victory if you don’t go through some temporary hoops? When challenges come, we dont run and hide. We rise to the occasion and conquer them because the lives of those we seek to help are as valuable as our.

  • We lost many officers in Liberia because they were tricked by women into enemies’ trenches – Ex-ECOMOG soldier

    THE Liberian civil war ended about two decades ago but there are many facts about the war that are yet unknown to many, particularly as they relate to the engagement of Nigerian officers in peace keeping mission in the former war-torn nation. One of the officers that served in the first batch of the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) peace keeping mission was Prince Boko Babatunde, now the oba elect of Ikoga Zebbe, one of the most populous kingdoms in Badagry area of Lagos State.

    The amiable prince enlisted in the Nigerian army shortly after his secondary school education because of his childhood ambition of serving the country. But, as a young officer, he and his colleagues were oblivious of what the war front looked like until they got to Liberia.

    Hardly did they arrive in Liberia than the rebels struck and killed one of his colleagues during a parade. The incident made him and others who thought the mission was a child’s play to quickly have a rethink and approached the battle with all seriousness.

    Although he admitted that the battle was tough, the oba elect still relishes his love for the Nigerian Army. He said: “I have always had interest in the Nigerian Army, and that made me to opt for it shortly after my secondary school education. Back then in the secondary school, during our literary and debating group meetings about what we wanted to be in the future, I always told them that I wanted to become a soldier. That had been my ambition from childhood.

    “I was always looking forward to where I could have the opportunity of serving the nation, and the military always topped the list of all the places in my heart. Fortunately for me, God blessed my wish and I was enlisted in the Nigerian Army without knowing anybody or bribing my way through.

    “I wasn’t scared when I was asked to go to Liberia on peace keeping. I wasn’t at all. All I did was to go back home to tell my father who merely prayed that I would go and return safely. I never went with any other thing than my small Bible issued to us by the military.

    “As young officers, most of us thought the exercise was a child’s play when we go to Liberia. It dawned on us that it was a serious matter when we started seeing our colleagues felled in attacks launched by the enemies. But that didn’t deter us. Rather, it gingered us to face the battle squarely.

    “When we just arrived in Liberia, one of my friends became the first casualties of the rebels. We were on parade ground when they launched an attack and my friend was hit by their bullet. He fell and died instantly. We just heard a sound and the next thing we saw was his dead body. At that very moment, we buckled up and faced the challenge.

    “We were regularly given pep talks that as soldiers, that was what we signed for and we should not relent.”

    As a dogged fighter, he dismissed the relevance and efficacy of charms on the battle field, saying that those who depended on it during the Liberian war never returned home alive.

    He said: “The rebels could fire anyhow and run away because they were not trained. But we could not do that. We always fired when instructed to do so. Bullets were flying all around each time we were in battle with the rebels, but using the training we had received, one could dodge them.

    “I never used charms because, like I said earlier, I only went to the war front with the pocket Bible the authorities gave us and the prayer of my father. Charms cannot stop you from dying at the battle front because you are not using only guns. At the battle front, you had grenades, rocket launchers, armoured tanks, artillery guns and others. So, if you fortify yourself with charms to prevent bullets from penetrating your body, what about the other weapons?

    “We had many people who trusted in their charms and died. One of them was a friend from Ife. He was very rugged and banked on his charms. He entered rebels’ territories anyhow and ended up wasting his own life.

    “Fighting at the war front is based on instructions. If you don’t follow the instructions from your superiors, you are bound to fail. If they ask you to fire, you fire. If they ask you to advance, you do so. And if they ask you to pin down, you pin down.

    “If you follow those instructions to the letter, you will not have any problem.”

    While the soft spoken prince would ordinarily not have anything to do with bloodshed, he said that he never romanced his guns during the peace keeping mission.

    “I was given two rifles and I fired the rebels with them. Of course, I killed the rebels and that was normal because as an officer, you were taught not to romance the rifle but to defend yourself and kill the enemies.

    “In a war situation, we have a place called no man’s land. When you are fighting, you don’t cross that place. But when you ceasefire, you can cross it. We could go to rebels’ camp and they could come to ours. In fact, we used to attend parties and have fun together. But when the time for fighting resumed, everybody would withdraw. It was a guerilla war, and because many women had lost everything, they started following our men, especially those that could provide food for them, because that was a major problem for the people during war.

    “Some of our men slept with them but I didn’t have the mind to do so because that was part of the instructions, and I told you that if you obeyed the instructions to the letter, you would not have any problem. At times, some of the women were rebels. They would trick you to enter their trenches and after capturing you, they would use knife to cut your neck. That was how they killed some of our officers.”

    He also took exception to looting at war front, saying: “If you are also going to the war front with the mind of looting, you wouldn’t come back. You can ask any general about this. You don’t go to the war front with the aim of making money or enriching yourself. You are to go and fight and win. The issue of money is not there, except for the regular allowances.

    “I felt happy when our batch was asked to come back home for another batch to take over from us. It was a relief from sleepless nights, not having our bath and other discomforts. Some of our colleagues had their feet rotting because of constant wearing of the boot. So, we were happy to come back home to see our families.”

    Aside from his love for the military, Prince Sewanu is also a lover of sound education. Unlike his peers who jettisoned their education after enlisting in the army, he combined his love for the profession with his education. From being a secondary school certificate holder when he joined the army, he holds a master’s degree in Business Administration today.

    He said: “After completing my primary and secondary school education, I moved to join the Nigerian Army on July 10, 1986. I was in the army training school, in Zaria, Kaduna for six months. After passing out from there, I moved to 123 Battalion, Ikeja Cantonment as a Brigade of Guard. There I was with my commander then, John Madaki, who we used to call Jagua.

    “From there, I moved to apply to further my education and got admitted into Plateau State School of Accountancy and obtained an ordinary diploma. After the programme, I returned to the office to start the job. From there, I was added to the first batch of offices that were deployed to Liberia. I served there for six months.

    “Immediately we came back to the country, I became very hungry for further studies and proceeded to Nigerian Military School of Finance and Administration, Apapa to study Accountancy. After completing the National Diploma programme, I went for industrial attachment in an audit firm based in Maryland, Lagos.

    “After that, I went for my Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.  After my HND, I went for my PGD in Business Administration and Masters in Business Administration at the University of Calabar.

    “After the programme, I was redeployed to Kaduna from where I was moved to Ibadan, 2 Div, 81 Battalion. It was while serving in Ibadan that the urge to return home and serve my people came up. I had to come to join the local government service as a senior staff. It was while there that I got the call from my people to lead them.”

    If there is any experience as an officer in the military that he would not love to remember or talk about, it was the late Major Gideon Okar’s coup, which shook the nation to its foundation.

    Recalling the incident, he said: “I witnessed the Gideon Okar coup. I was with a friend at the Ikeja Cantonment when we started hearing gunshots. I told my friend that, that could be a coup but he said it was robbers. Within a space of time, what I said was right. It was a coup. We quickly gathered and thought of what we could do. We dressed up and headed for the armoury. But on getting there, we discovered that they had taken over the place. We quickly withdrew and took cover till the following day when the coup was foiled. I don’t really want to talk more on the coup.”

    After accomplishing his dream of serving his fatherland, the dark complexioned prince gloriously took a bow. “I left the army because, to me, it is not a job but a call to serve the nation. When you have done the little you think you can do for the nation, you come out to do other things.

    When I decided to leave, I thought I had done my best and wanted to use my certificate to work elsewhere.”

    If he thought that leaving the military to enjoy his privacy was the next thing for him, the prince greatly mistaken. Not quite long after he left the army, his community, realising his immense leadership skills, drafted him to become their monarch. While it came to him as sudden, leading the people is not however strange to him.

    He noted: “Right from my primary school days, I have always seen myself as a leader. When I was in secondary school, I was given two portfolios when they were choosing prefects. This continued all through my academic life. So, it wasn’t a surprise when my people called me to come and be the monarch. It is a challenge, and I am ready for it. I have the burning desire of improving my community and the people, using the knowledge I have acquired travelling all over the country and beyond.

    “As a widely travelled person, there are so many developments and ideas that I have come across and want to replicate in the community. I love my community and the people and would always work for their interest. Discipline on all fronts is one thing that I will want to thrive in the area. When there is discipline, every other thing will fall in line.

    “I was sad when I heard about the abduction of the monarch of Iba. It was not a good thing at all. But I will say that there is little or nothing that the monarchs can do on their own to protect themselves while there is a lot that the government can do.

    “I am a family man to the core and I am always guided by the principle of contentment. Even though I’m a young man, I don’t go clubbing or engage in activities that could take the time I need to spend attending to my work. I do attend social functions and take time to enjoy myself at such functions, but I often relax in the company of my family.”

    For the youthful prince, having people like the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, and the Ooni of Ife excelling in their positions is the tonic that fires him up to serve the people.

    “I love and respect the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi. He is redefining the traditional stool in the western part of the country and I would want to toe his path. I equally adore our hardworking and humble governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, for his achievements within the short time he came into office. Their commitment to changing the society gladdens my heart. Governor Ambode has shown that he is an exemplary leader and we will continue to support him with our prayers.”

  • Emergency response to Ebola underway in Liberia -WHO

    Emergency response to Ebola underway in Liberia -WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health teams in Liberia and Guinea are investigating the origins of transmission in case of Ebola.

    This came up as the epidemic flared-u after learning that a woman who died from Ebola in Liberia last week had recently travelled from Guinea with her three young children.

    The UN health agency said in a statement that Liberian health authorities have reported that the woman arrived with her children on 21 March 2016, shortly after her husband died in Guinea from unknown causes.

    She stayed with relatives in Monrovia, where she developed symptoms over the following week. She initially sought care in local clinics and died en route to a Monrovia hospital on March 21.

    The statement said one of her boys had since tested positive for Ebola virus disease, bringing the number of cases in this flare-up to two.

    He is being treated at an Ebola care facility in Monrovia.

    Her two other children, plus her sister, are being closely observed by medical staff.

    WHO said Liberian health authorities quickly reactivated the country’s emergency response mechanisms and with support from key partners, immediately set to work tracing, isolating and monitoring contacts of the confirmed cases.

    That the experts would intensify infection prevention and disease control measures and stepping up community outreach.

    Teams plan to initiate vaccination of contacts with the Ebola vaccine to prevent potential spread of the virus.

    It said 84 contacts of the cases had been identified in Liberia as of Monday and had been placed under medical observation.
    Affected households have been offered food, water, hygiene supplies and counseling.

    These latest cases in Liberia mark the country’s third flare-up of Ebola virus disease since its original outbreak was declared over on 9 May 2015.

    The previous flare-up in Liberia began in November 2015 and ended 14 January 2016.

    Last week, WHO said the Ebola epidemic in West Africa no longer represented a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, asserting that Guinea, Liberia and Sierra now had the detection and response capacities to effectively manage small outbreaks when they occur.

    While the risk of flare-ups is declining, WHO reiterated that more must be expected, largely due to virus persistence in some survivors.

    Nearly 1,000 WHO specialists remain in the region ready to contribute to emergency response operations when needed, and in the meantime, working to recover and strengthen health systems in the three countries.

     

  • Family buries Nigerian banker ‘murdered’ in Liberia, calls for Justice

    Amid tears,the remains of a Nigerian banker, Daniel Orogun, who died in Liberia was at the weekend interred at the Ikoyi Vaults, Lagos.
    Orogun who was Managing Director (MD) of Guarantee Trust Bank’s (GTB) Liberia branch was said to have drowned in a Liberia river on January 24, while on a boat cruise with his wife, three children as well as a bank customer, George Kailondo who invited them for dinner and three others.
    But Orogun’s family who spoke last Thursday for the first time since he died, said the deceased was murdered by Kailondo and his accomplice identified as Michael.
    They want the federal government to prevail on its Liberian counterpart to ensure justice was served, insisting that Kailondo had motives to kill the deceased.
    The spokesperson for the family, Pastor Felix Orogun who stated their position, described as untrue, reports that the deceased was celebrating his wedding anniversary when he fell into the water and drowned.
    Pastor Orogun said the family took time to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of his younger brother, adding that it was a clear case of murder.
    “It is not true that my brother was celebrating his wedding anniversary when he drowned in the water. Besides, my brother was a very good swimmer and there was no way he would have drowned in that water which is calmer than the Lagos lagoon.
    “I was in Liberia for two weeks investigating my brother’s death. And the true position is that George Kailondo had a motive to kill him. He wanted to float an airline across the west coast (Kailondo airline), and wanted the bank (GTB) to fund it.
    “But my brother refused because after investigation by an aviation expert, it was discovered that Kailondo was not ready to float an airline. Because he had gone on air to say he was starting an airline and my brother told him the things he needed to do before the bank will fund the project, he saw my brother as a stumbling block.
    “It was not the first time he invited him for dinner. He has been inviting him since last year but my brother never honoured it. He was to go last November but as he was about to enter his car, the door accidentally chopped off his thump and he was flown to Ghana for surgery. Maybe, that was the day he would have been dead.
    “But this time around, Kailondo invited my brother and his family for dinner. It was a Sunday and by the time he returned home after church service, he received three phone calls in quick succession from Kailondo on the invitation.
    “My brother reluctantly told his wife, Isioma of the need to honour the invitation from Kailondo, a major customer of the bank. He was reluctant because he does not like missing football matches involving Arsenal and the team was to play with Chelsea that day.
    “So, he phoned a friend of his to keep him informed of developments in the match, and then he took a bottle of wine and some soft drinks for the children to Kailondo’s place. On getting to the host’s house, the man offered them drink, but Daniel went to his vehicle and brought the drinks he had brought from home.
    “Kailondo then suggested that they should go for a boat ride so that by the time they returned, dinner would be ready. He took them to the boat, Daniel and his children first entered. His wife was a bit sceptical at first, but eventually entered, not wanting to stay away from her family.
    “They all entered the boat only to discover that there was no life jacket. In the boat that was steered by Kailondo, Daniel’s wife said there were two other men seated at the rear. There was also a diver named Micheal, who was following them on Jet Skii.
    “Isioma said she demanded for life jacket and other safety procedure before the boat drove off but they were assured there was no cause for alarm as expirienced divers were with them.”
    Continuing, Pastor Orogun said his brother’s wife disclosed that the journey was smooth until Kailondo suggested that they go into the high sea, which she and her late husband refused.
    “They then stopped, relaxed and were chatting while Dan was responding to news on football game going on through his phone. Music was on in the boat. Dan was on the back seat. Kailondo emptied part of his whiskey into Dan’s cup but my brother saw him and reminded him that it was his own cup, at which point his wife took it away to prevent him from drinking from it.
    “While everyone was relaxed, Kailondo was dancing and watching Dan who was busy on his phone. Then, unexpectedly, Kailondo started the engine with high speed and made an almost 360 degrees turn anti-clockwise. The children and Isioma lost balance and fell inside the boat, while Dan was thrown inside the river. But the two young men who were at the nose of boat did not fall. It shows they were prepared for the move.
    “Before this happened, Micheal, the diver who was following them on Jet Skii and and displaying some acrobatics had disappeared. The young men who Kailondo had also said were divers did not make any attempt to save Dan.
    “Instead of Kailondo to stop after realising that Dan was in the water, he rode for few minutes even as Isioma and the children were screaming that they should stop and rescue him or throw a rope towards Dan who was already swimming in the boat’s direction.
    “Isioma was fighting hard to prevent their young children who wanted to jump into the river to help Dan and at the same time, begging Kailondo and the other men to assist her husband by throwing the rescue rope to him but they all refused.
    “At this point, the wife who sensed foul play, started making telephone calls to other boat owners they know, to come and help her husband. When Kailondo saw what was happening, he reluctantly removed his shirt, jumped into the river, swam towards Dan and held him from behind, apparently to incapacitate him.
    “The next thing my brother’s wife and children noticed was that both men sank, they were under water for sometime and later Kailondo came out of the water from another side without Dan. Shortly after, the said Jet Skii diver, Micheal, resurfaced from another end of the water too. But Dan was not seen again.
    “At this time, those Isioma called with her telephone, including some members of the United Nations Peace Keeping corps in Liberia had arrived and were looking for Dan. Isioma challenged Kailondo before them and told them that he took her husband under water but he claimed that a force pulled Dan down, that he saw blood and that the river was boiling so he left Dan and fled. He claimed it was witchcraft and that Dan was gone,” he said.
    The family wondered where Micheal was while the incident lasted? Why Kailondo refused all appeal to throw the rescue rope to Dan who was swimming towards the boat, but instead went into the water and held him from the back with his hands clipped to his body to prevent him from swimming?
    It accused Kailondo of plotting the death of their brother as well as motive to kill his wife and children to erase all suspicion.
    It described the reappearance of Michael, shortly after Kailondo came out of the water as “no coincidence”, just as they expressed fears of getting justice since Liberia’s chief of Police was Kailondo’s in law.
    “While we are grateful to the Liberian government for the actions they have taken since they came into the picture, I want to appeal to the Director, Liberia’s National Police, Clarence Massquol to not allow his family ties with George Kailondo affect justice in the case. The suspects ought to have been in police custody, not to be roaming the streets of Monrovia with impunity.
    “We are also appealing to the Nigerian government to take steps to ensure that the death of its citizen under suspicious circumstances is not thrown under the carpet. We believed perhaps the death of our brother has not been taken seriously by Nigeria because of the ineffectiveness of the Nigeria mission in Monrovia following the recall of the former High Commissioner.
    “We are willing to drag this matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to get justice for our brother.
    “We are also appealing to the bank to consider giving all his four children scholarship to the university level, since he dedicated over 24 years of his life in their service and was a committed employee,” said Pastor Orogun.
    According to Pastor Orogun, the suspect ‘s plan to kill the banker and his family could not materialise because of the rescue teams that were called by his wife Isioma, adding that Michael acted as his accomplice in Dan’s murder.
    “Our position is that Kailondo never knew Dan was a good swimmer. This fact complicated his plan of killing Dan and his entire family, as well as made his intention of inviting the entire family clear. Another thing he did not know was that Dan did not drink the whiskey he poured into his cup to get him drunk.
    “We are aware that George Kailondo has been sponsoring all the lies that were being fed to the Liberia press. I must put on record that Daniel knew how to swim; he did not go to Kailondo’s house to celebrate any wedding anniversary but himself and his family were invited by George Kailondo.
    “In his desperation to cover up his evil, Kailondo has gone to put life jackets in his boat. We know that he is desperate to escape justice, but he is under a divine woe and judgment already.
    “This incident happened less than half nautical mile from Kailondo’s compound. While rescue efforts were still ongoing at about 8:30pm, Kailondo went to bed and told some of the rescuers that my brother was gone.
    “It is also curious that all efforts to find Daniel under water that day failed. It was until the morning of the third day that his body resurfaced at the very place it all happened. The clothe he was wearing, which I saw at the murtuary had mud stains, not white sand.

  • Nigeria, Liberia to ensure credible poll

    Nigeria, Liberia to ensure credible poll

    President Muhammadu Buhari  yesterday said Nigeria would partner Liberia to ensure free and fair elections in five African countries this year.

    Buhari spoke at a joint press conference with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia after bilateral talks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said during the bilateral meeting, they discussed how Nigeria and Liberia could assist those countries scheduled to conduct general election this year.

    Noting that five presidential elections were conducted in the sub-region in 2015, he hoped that the forthcoming elections  would be successful.

    He said: “As we know last year, security is important, but we had five elections, including our own in the sub-region.

    “This year, we are having five (elections) and we hope that we will work and ensure the elections are successful.

    “We are going to have one in Benin, Niger, Ghana and two other countries. What affects any of the country of the region affects all of us.

    “So, it is in our interest to discuss and see how we can support the countries,’’ he said.

    The President also said Nigeria, in collaboration with other members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, would continue to check activities of terrorists and criminals across the West African sub-region.

    He expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded by the Sirleaf-led administration and assured it that Nigeria would ensure socio-political stability in Liberia.

    Nigeria, he said, would jointly embark on rehabilitation of the ailing industries in to get the economies of the two countries back on track.

    President Sirleaf expressed her country’s appreciation to Nigeria for the technical and financial.

    Citing Nigeria’s intervention in Liberia during the outbreak of the Ebola virus, he said the medical assistance received by her country from Nigeria contributed in checking spread of the disease.

    She also renewed the strong bond of friendship which had existed between Nigeria and Liberia.

    “I am pleased to have the opportunity to come back to Abuja. This time, to be able to meet with President Buhari.

    “First, to repeat once again, my appreciation for the support that we have had for  years.

    “This support had brought us peace, and enable us to start the processes of reconstruction.

    “Most recently when we had the difficulties of the disease of Ebola, Nigeria stood by Liberia.

    “So, I came to convey those thanks. I came to renew the strong bond of friendship between our countries,’’ she said.

     

  • Dogara seeks review of Parliamentary framework

    Dogara seeks review of Parliamentary framework

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara Tuesday said that a review of the legal framework guiding security in African parliaments has become imperative.

    Dogara warned that the existing arrangement where security was left in the hands of the sergeant- at-arms and a multiplicity of  other security agencies  cannot  guarantee security in the parliaments.

    The Speaker spoke at a pan- African conference on parliamentary security held on Abuja.

    He lamented that though the sergeant- at- arms operatives were the recognised security personnel in parliaments across the world, the system has not created enough legal powers that would enhance the performance of their duties.

    The conference brought together Clerks and Sergeant at Arms from the National and State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, as well as their counterparts from  across 17 other African countries including  Liberia, Uganda and Kenya.

    Dogara warned that given the increasing spate of terrorism and frequent attacks on parliaments across the world, there was an urgent need to strengthen the laws to give the traditional police of the parliament enough powers to take care of security within the precincts of the parliament.

    He said, “In Libya’s post-Gaddafi, internal tensions escalated catastrophically in mid-2014, as Gunmen launched an attack on the parliament in the capital Tripoli and demanded its suspension.

    “Hours before the parliamentary suspension, members of an armed group backed by truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns, mortars and rocket fire attacked parliament, sending politicians fleeing for their lives as gunmen ransacked the legislature.

    “The Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria and attacks carried out by the group on the United Nations compound, Police Headquarters and other targets in Abuja have fueled fears of attacks on soft targets like parliament.”

    The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, only talks about Sergeant at Arms by inference.  “Section 89 (1) and (2) of the Constitution empowers the National Assembly for the purposes of any investigation under Section 88 of the Constitution to among other powers, summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document; and to also issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so.

    It further provides that “a summons or warrant issued under this section may be served or executed by any member of the Nigeria Police Force or by any person authorised in that behalf by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may require”.

    This implies that both Presiding Officers can authorize the Sergeant at Arms to execute Warrants or Summons issued by the National Assembly. In the botched Constitution Review exercise, the 7th National Assembly, together with over 2/3 of the State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria amended Section 89 (2) of the Constitution to empower the Sergeant-at-Arms in addition to the Nigeria Police, to execute orders of the National Assembly.

    But Dogara urged the conference to make appropriate recommendations on resolving the legal relationship between all the security Agencies.

    The Speaker expressed concern that under emergency situations at the parliament, the sergeant – at- arms  was often handicapped, particularly when the other security agencies might not be favourably disposed to taking orders from him.

    He said,” If push comes to shove, who has ultimate authority for security at the National Assembly. Can the Police override directives of the Sergeant-at-Arms especially with respect to public order and public security?

    “Can the Sergeant at arms department set up departments in conflict with the traditional duties of the Police Force and State Security Service? For instance, VIP Protection is the traditional responsibility of the Secret Service, so can the Sergeant-at-Arms set up VIP Protection Department to take over protection of Senior officials of the National Assembly?

    “Following police invasion of the National Assembly on November 20, 2014, and the withdrawal of both Police and Security details of the Speaker, is there a genuine case for VIP Protection of National Assembly Officials to be handled by the Sergeant at Arms? Are they trained for such a role? Maybe we should examine the position in other jurisdictions for guidance. ”

    He noted that restructuring and empowering the Sergeant-at-Arms would enable him  to improve on  its ability to prevent security breaches and possible attacks on the National Assembly,  parliamentary  buildings and on  legislators.

    The leadership of the National Assembly, he said, was committed to ensuring the safety of parliamentarians, employees, visitors and the property of the parliament.

  • Liberia begins new Ebola countdown

    Liberia begins new Ebola countdown

    Liberia on Friday commenced a new countdown to declaring itself of Ebola free for a third time, health officials said.

    The countdown comes after the last two known Ebola cases were released from hospital on Thursday.

    In recent months, Liberia had been the only country in West Africa with known cases as neighboring Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free in November while Guinea’s last known case recovered two weeks ago.

    “There are no cases in the ETUs (Ebola Treatment Units) in the entire Republic of Liberia,” said Tolbert Nyenswah, Head of Liberia’s Ebola response, adding that Ebola safety procedures remained in place.

    The two patients released from the Paynesville ETU are the father and younger brother of the presumed index case, a 15-year-old boy named Nathan Gbotoe from a suburb of the capital Monrovia who died from the disease late November.

    However, new cases could still emerge in Liberia since there are 165 contacts still under quarantine, of which more than 30 are deemed high risk, health officials told newsmen.

    Nyenswah say the contacts under surveillance have completed 14 of their obligatory 21-day monitoring – a period that corresponds with the typical incubation period of the virus.

    “No need to cancel your plane ticket when you are planning to come to Liberia, continue to come here the place is safe,” Nyenswah told newsmen.

    Liberian medical workers are still grappling to explain how Ebola re-emerged in Liberia more than two months after it was declared free of the virus by the World Health Organisation.

    Resurgent cases in Liberia, possibly transmitted sexually by survivors, had cast doubt on the current policy of labeling a country Ebola-free after 42 days.

     

  • Liberia records new Ebola case

    Liberia records new Ebola case

    Liberian Health Minister, Bernice Dahn said on Friday, a new case of Ebola has emerged, a setback for the country declared free of the disease on September 3.

    Dahn said that it was also a setback for the region, which was struggling to end an epidemic that had killed around 11,300 people.

    The patient is a 10 year old boy who lived with his parents and three siblings in Paynesville, a suburb east of the capital Monrovia, she said.

    All six family members, as well as other high risk contacts, were in care at an Ebola Treatment Unit in Paynesville, Dahn added.

    She also said that the hospital was currently decontaminating the unit; all of the healthcare workers who came in contact with the patient had also been notified.

    “We know how Ebola spreads and we know how to stop Ebola but we must remain vigilant and work together,” she said.

    Liberia has seen more than 10,600 cases of the disease and 4,808 Ebola deaths since it was first announced in March, 2014, according to WHO figures.

    The virus has killed about 11,300 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, but Sierra Leone was declared free of the virus on Nov. 7 and Guinea has begun its countdown to the end of the virus.

     

  • Liberia confirms two more Ebola cases

    Liberia confirms two more Ebola cases

    Liberian health officials confirmed another two Ebola infections on Thursday, bringing to five the total number of new cases since the West African nation was declared free of the virus.

    Francis Keteh, Deputy Incident Management System Leader, said in Mornovia that all the five Ebola patients were from Liberia’s north-central Margibi County.

    He said that they include a 17-year-old boy whose death on June 28 made Liberia lose the Ebola-free status the World Health Organisation (WHO) had granted it in early May.

    Keteh said that an additional seven suspected cases, 11 high risk cases and 42 low risk cases – who had all come into contact with the 17-year-old while he was ill – are currently being monitored at a treatment centre.

    Neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone have not yet been able to stop transmissions of the virus that causes a deadly haemorrhagic fever.

    According to the WHO, about 27,600 people have been infected and more than 11,200 have died from Ebola in the three West African countries since December 2013

  • Liberia confirms second Ebola case

    Liberia confirms second Ebola case

    Liberia confirmed a second case of Ebola just a day after authorities said they had detected a new case of the deadly virus previously thought to have been eliminated from the country.

    “We have two confirmed cases in Liberia,” said Dr Moses Massaquoi, Case Management team leader for Liberia’s Ebola task force.

    He did not provide details of the new case.

    The body of a 17 year-old boy from Margibi County, a rural area outside of Monrovia, was confirmed to be positive for the virus on Sunday and was buried the same day.

    It is not clear how he was infected and the information was not made public until Tuesday.

    Massaquoi said that tests were underway to establish whether there are further cases.

    Health officials said they isolated people who had contact with the teenager and are at risk of further infection.

    A message from a social media account of the Liberian information ministry said that two people from the teenager’s home had been confirmed as Ebola positive.

    It was not immediately possible to verify that information nor was it clear if that included the case cited by Massaquoi.

    Liberia, once at the centre of the worst recorded Ebola epidemic in history, was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation on May 9 after going 42 days with no new infections.

    The cross-border outbreak has killed more than 11,200 people since it began in December 2013. Twenty new cases were reported in the week to June 21 in Guinea and Sierra Leone.