After Fighting Ebola For Africa, He Was Abandoned – Nigerian Doctor Pens A Heartbreaking Open Letter To The African Union ( Must Read )

After Fighting Ebola For Africa, He Was Abandoned – Nigerian Doctor Pens A Heartbreaking Open Letter To The African Union ( Must Read )

Years Ago, when Ebola ferociously attacked the African Continent, The Nigerian Medical Community stood between Ebola and Nigerians, they made sure that Ebola never caused as much havoc as it would have ordinarily caused in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
One woman who was at the forefront of this fight against Ebola and lost her life in the process was Dr Stella A. Adedevor.
This year, a man who was at the forefront of the fight against Ebola in Nigeria and Sierra Leone has written a very emotional piece, lamenting How Nigeria and African Union abandoned him and the rest of the team during and after their fight against Ebola.

In the Write-up, he revealed that he has finally been honoured by African Union this year, but for several reasons which he highlighted, he’s not impressed in spite of the belated recognition.

READ ALSO: List Of 15 Billionaires Who Are From Africa And Their Net Worth

See Below for the Full text of his article ;

The Medal, My Story…Not All Of It

Four years later, African Union has remembered to present me and my colleagues with Medal of Honor for stopping Ebola in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.
I dedicate this to Dr. Stella A Adedevor and Justina Ejelonu.
You guys are the real heroes, you died for us all.

Adadevor stopped Sawyer. He made calls, she also made calls, pulling the right strings to stop him from plunging into the population and spreading the deadly virus.

She contracted Ebola in the process and died a most painful death. It was like a self sacrifice. She had organ failures, kidney shut down, multiple seizures and strokes, profuse bleeding, heart failure and later on death.
She died for Nigeria.
Adadevor has not been properly honored by her country whereas every year, politicians troop into Abuja to share national honors for doing practically nothing whereas real heroes are ignored.

Late Dr. Stella A Adedevor

Nurse Justina Ejelenu worked with Stella and also contracted the disease in the line of duty. She died without doing anything for herself or her family. No one remembers her.

Late Justina Ejelenu

We arrived Abuja after 6 months of risking our lives in West Africa to stop the menace a few days after Jonathan had lost the presidential election in 2015. No one paid any attention to us any longer. All the initial plans to honor us were thrown out of the window.

The new regime took no interest whatsoever and till today, not even a handshake from a Local Government Chairman not to talk of monetary anything.
Politicians share billions each time they are leaving office after mindless self-help to the national purse. Yet those who worked for the nation are never rewarded.

This regime has not as much as said a word to us talk less of recognizing our contributions.

The day we arrived Sierra Leone everyone was happy, they said we were from Nigeria and we had the magic. They sent us to the worse hit areas and we carried out our duty patriotically. We did our best and Ebola stopped.
The country took the whole accolade without even saying a word to us.

The African Union has casually tossed medals to us without any ceremony. I went to PH to pick up my piece from a junior staff of the state ministry of health who asked me to sign off on a piece of paper and be gone.

READ ALSO: IT’S ANAMBRA AGAIN! : FOUR BOYS FROM ANAMBRA WIN PRIZE AT AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

There were only 2 persons in the room. Nobody bothered me. It was even the staff who told me that some people who picked up the medal earlier had tested it and that it was not even real gold, so it is probably worthless.

I spent my money and time to pick a piece of garbage after risking my life for Africa. I felt like a fool while leaving dejectedly.
This reminds me of my experience in the field. An American passed out while we were on duty and I helped to resuscitate him. He was later diagnosed with Ebola and I quarantined myself. Few days later, I developed a fever and noticed blood in my toilet.

I asked my colleagues to send a letter to African Union that I may have contracted the deadly disease. Till today I never got any response. I stayed in self-quarantine for 21 days without a word from The Africa that I was fighting for.

My contemporary was airlifted to the USA in a matter of moments but I survived by the grace of God or sheer luck. Never spoken to. Never tested. Never nothing. Being African is shitty. I don’t know if am a survivor or not. I just know that my life is worth nothing.

I dedicate this medal, though probably worthless to healthcare workers from Africa who died for their continent but were never appreciated or even recognized.

I live in hope that one day our land shall experience the kind of leadership that would value those who sacrifice for her and reward those who make genuine efforts
For now, am just in severe pains.

God bless Africa

God bless Nigeria

N. Mcginger Ibeneme MBBS