The Presidency on Sunday said no member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to the United States for the African/American Leaders Summit was screened for exposure to the dreaded Ebola virus on arrival at Washington DC.
Jonathan and some top government officials arrived the US on Sunday for the summit billed for Monday (today).
Some members of the President’s advanced team had arrived the US on Friday and Saturday.
President Barack Obama was quoted on Friday as saying that some African participants attending the summit would be screened for exposure to the dreaded virus which is currently ravaging some West African countries.
Obama explained that the action would be taken to protect the US from the outbreak of the disease.
He said, “Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.”
A Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, had died in a Lagos hospital of the dreaded virus.
All those who had contacts with the deceased whose remains had since been cremated were being observed by the Federal Government.
Although no other case of the virus has so far been established in Nigeria, Obama’s statement fuelled speculations that Jonathan and members of his entourage might be subjected to screening before they could be allowed into the country.
But shortly after arriving the US, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed on his Twitter handle that no member of the President’s entourage was screened.
“Nobody took any Ebola test, please,” the presidential spokesman wrote in a response to a question raised by one Okunola Bukky.
Abati had earlier twitted some of the photographs of the President taken on his arrival at the airport while being received by top US and Nigerian government officials.
Based on the photographs, Bukky asked Abati, “please, confirm to us if the entourage took Ebola test…”
Independent investigation conducted by our correspondent also showed that none of the members of the President’s advance team who arrived in the US on Friday and Saturday was screened of the virus.
“Why will we be screened? How? By who? There is nothing like that. At least, nobody screened me,” a member of the President’s advance team who arrived in the US on Saturday told our correspondent on Sunday.
Two African leaders had already said that they would not attend the meeting because of the outbreak of the Ebola disease in their countries.
The leaders are the presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernest BaiKoroma, respectively. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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As far as I'm concerned this piece of information makes more negative impact on our ruling class than positive. Leadership is best by example. If the President was screened,what difference does it make if not that you guys just want to display that Nigerian attitude where our politicians feel above the law. Allowing yourself to be tested is to show you have the interest of people at heart. Therefore if for whatever reason any group of people were not tested anywhere necessary, people should not call it good news. The virus does not recognise or respect personality,that's one reality we must not allow to elude us.
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