Another Fallen Compatriot

It's common knowledge that you don't speak ill of the dead, but there are few exceptions . Every time I think of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who lost his sister to Ebola and conveyed the same disease across borders unto our shores, all I want to do is say something hateful/ hurting about him ;even our President couldn't resist the urge not to. A lot of people have postulated theories about why he came into Nigeria despite his contact with his deceased sister, and I don't really give a hoot about what his reason(s) were; all I know is that he has poured sand into our little garri ( which we are managing as a nation), he has added fuel into an already blazing inferno. More people have died from a disease that could have been avoided if Patrick Sawyer hadn't stepped foot in Nigeria. A few weeks ago, I dedicated a post to Dr Sheik Umar Khan who gave up his life while fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone. And today, I am doing the same for our very own Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh who lost her life in the course of duty. She didn't give up her life, she lost it. Dr Sheik had a heads up before he got involved, she however didn't. She was dutifully doing her job and lost her livelihood and life in the process. Thanks to Patrick Sawyer, we've lost another specialist. Nigeria doesn't need a needless loss of consultants, not now, not ever. We need more specialists than we can imagine. And to see them lose their lives needlessly is appalling. Like most fallen Nigerian heroes, I hope Dr Ameyo's death won't be futile. I hope our health sector will become a system worth dying for, I hope medical practice in Nigeria will one day be worth the sacrifices we have made and still make. GEJ has suspended residency programme, a lot of young doctors that planned to start their residency in Nigeria are already registering for international exams, and now we have lost one of the few endocrinologists in the country. If the dead had ears, I am sure Patrick Sawyer's would be filled with curses; but it's too late to cry over this spilled stale milk. It has been confirmed that another Liberian got into Nigeria and is being treated for Ebola! And you wonder why the Liberian ports and Nigerian ports still allow this immigration. Porous borders I know, let the government step up their game. We have too much on our plates to handle right now: the absence of security, the chaos in the health sector, Ebola epidemic, lack of basic amenities, plummeting educational sector, and now let's add porous and almost non-existing borders! Let's also not forget that our Chibok sisters are still missing ( I find it hard to believe that they are still missing). Which way forward? Responsible followership. What does that mean? It means getting involved. 2015 is here, and they will roll out their drums and campaigns. Vote wisely, use your head not your heart. Leave out sentiments ( tribal, religious, gender, etc) and make an informed decision. Don't stop there, educate the unlearned. Break down the big English words and let them know what is at stake. Help them make informed decisions too. Then hold the elected leaders responsible. Ask questions. They are answerable to us. Enough with 'siddon look' approach . Let's do away with being reactive followers, it's time to be proactive. Let's organise town hall meetings, quarterly appraisals etc It's time to save our country for our future's sake. It's begins, continues and ends with us, the Nigerian People.