By Chioma Obinna

When news broke that the Federal government is sending 504 health workers in response to the call by Ebola affected countries for an urgent assistance to contain the Ebola Virus Disease, (EVD) many Nigerians had mixed feelings.

First there were fears that response to the call would be poor in view of the dreaded EVD ravaging the West African zone. Second, fears were expressed that taking such a large contingent to Ebola ravaged countries might potentially expose Nigeria to another round of Ebola infections. Some strongly opposed the decision and questioned the level of safety including comprehensive life insurance cover for the volunteers.

But these fears were put to rest last week when the first batch of 250 volunteers left for Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone after an intensive three days training on Ebola management in Lagos.   The departure of the Nigerian contingent is coming on the heels of a donation of US$34 million by a group of business institutions in Nigeria, including the Africa Development Bank, to the fight against EVD in the three affected countries.

At a formal ceremony to send forth the 250 Ebola volunteers held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, last week in Lagos, Chioma Obinna spoke to some of the volunteers who dismissed insinuations of being on a suicide mission. Excerpts:

We are doing it willingly — SOLO MAJOR

A volunteer, Mr. Solo-Major, who is an Environmental Health Officer from Rivers State, said the contingent is out to save lives and humanity. “Having had the experience in Rivers State because I was in charge of decontamination and evacuation as well as the burial unit and having felt the impact of what we went through my heart poured out to our fellow Africans whom their government are requesting for assistance to save the lives of their people.

”Their calls touched me because I knew what we went through in Port Harcourt and that is why I concluded it was necessary to save mankind from the deadly virus,” he stated.
He dismissed misconceptions that they agreed to go because of what they will get rather he debunked that as at the time of filing the report no volunteer had seen or sign any Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, on allowances.  ”For now, government’s arrangement is not clear until we sign our agreement form that is when we will know what is on ground for us.  We do not know what their plans are. We are just doing it willingly without bias.
I’m going to Liberia for humanity — OYEWOWO

Goodluck Oyewowo, a Hygienist from Rivers State believes no amount of financial benefits can be equated with life.  ”I am going to Liberia for humanity. When I think of my loved ones, friends and well wishers, my country Nigeria, I deem it fit to go there because without us going there to fight the disease, it will come back to Nigeria. If everybody is shying away we will just be at our comfort zone one day, and it will return to Nigeria.  This is what happened in Port Harcourt.  People were scared but I went and by the Grace of God we won the battle and we will succeed in these countries. Our going to Liberia is not for any selfish interest.  Personally, I am going there to save lives and humanity.  I want to save Nigeria and Africa from Ebola.  I don’t want it to finish our people,” he added.

In Ebola Containment, team work is key —EZE

Young, dynamic Onyinyechi Eze, an indigene of Abia State, who resides in Port Harcourt, and was involved in the contact tracing efforts in Port Harcourt EVD saga, says the EVD is one disease that is intimidated by coordinated approach.

“We were able to save Nigerians through this coordinated approach and that is why I volunteered to go to these countries to save lives. We did it here in Nigeria as a team, and we achieved our goal.  In Ebola containment, working as a team is paramount and it is the main reason Nigeria was able to contain the spread and we will do it in these countries,” she stated.

Another Volunteer, Mrs Gladys Imade, an Environmental Health Officer said Ebola is not  death sentence and coming together to fight the disease will end the spread and this is why these Nigerians like me have volunteered.