OK, so I feel well meaning Sierra Leoneans who relentlessly write, share or express views on Ebola, particularly those who have been intrinsically focused on the matter since March 2014, have been totally misunderstood. Lets not dance around the real issue which has never been about exaggerating the symptoms or transmission of Ebola, we moved on from that many moons ago. By now, even the least educated Facebook subscriber or half-wit will have been bombarded with multi-media content on Ebola so I trust he gets the basics and will have shared as he sees fit. What has been theatrically exaggerated by those well meaning Sierra Leoneans on the contrary, is fear and mistrust of its management as well as the short / long term impact including FDI, inflation etc on our people. Without naming names, those Sierra Leoneans I refer to arduously spent hours examining our constitution, medical reports, Ebola related news etc. Others disseminated information by text message or email. They did not stop there, they fund-raised in their local churches, amongst their immediate families, communities etc.Some even emailed proposals on a more effective strategy to the relevant contacts and participated in forums on and off air. So I throw a gauntlet to those who continue to ask us to come together for the good of our people....... what more can one possibly do? Sadly those early predictions on short / long term impacts have been unraveling by the minute and as humans, it is inevitable that most of these well meaning Sierra Leoneans who had been advocating closure of our borders struggle to resist sticking the knife in. As it stands, we are all being coerced into coming together by abstaining from spreading scare stories for the general good of Sierra Leone etc. Paradoxically, it is those very exaggerated scare stories that are making headlines sparking international aid. That aside, can anyone look the average Sierra Leonean in the eye and deny a feeling of uncertainty/ dysphoria about the adjustment period. For months, in fact up to last week, we were sold more lies about the progress of its management and such information was provided by credible national sources only to be discredited by the esteemed international experts we always rely on. I remember posting a snap on tightening laws on travelling and visa .... I was called out for the veracity of the source. Had that come from the US embassy who consistently reassure Sierra Leoneans on Ebola and its low risk status, said information would have gone viral. Unless of course they start recalling their staff ? Does thislow risk assessment still stand with flights being temporarily suspended? The problem is, we as a people are always accepting of lies sold to us, and even when the truth stares us in the face, we find another reason to justify our poor judgement. Just like we did when the war broke out. We have not learnt any lessons about the potential risks posed by our neighbours. I have an archive of all my status updates and had it not been for the fact that I do not relish embarrassing a few esteemed citizens about their misjudgment on measures put in place, I would have reposted. Rather I leave it to their consciences. This, my dear friends is the issue... mismanagement and mistrust. So to be quite honest, as it stands, I am no longer in the business of sensitizing anyone.... because I dont know what else to say to the people that really need sensitizing because, quite frankly, I too will be muddying the waters with yet another lie. I have done my bit for charities although I still have my reservations about how helpful a pair of gloves, or a hand sanitiser is compared to the immediate economic strain on the poor. I still cannot explain how one infected passenger on a short distance flight can contaminate another passenger.How many of those seemingly well passengers, professionals, traders roam the streets of Sierra Leone dispersing their bodily fluids and in what manner? As for the conspiracy theories, I will investigate those when I catch my breath. I am just really cross about how Ebola has been managed from the onset (not locking our borders etc)and I am numb with despair. So this is how I will sentize my father,mother, my brothers, cousins, or the street trader who might come across a verbal version of my post ....... HUPOMONE is all we have to hold on to. Pray to God with steadfastness, and in all probability, foreign experts and aid will come to our rescue. Margaret Chan the WHO chief says. “This is not an airborne virus. Transmission requires close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, also after death. Apart from this specific situation, the general public is not at high risk of infection by the Ebola virus” . “Experiences in Africa over nearly four decades tell us clearly that, when well managed, an Ebola outbreak can be stopped.” I leave this to your interpretation and pray that as a people, our attitudinal change will better prepare us for the next national crisis.For now, I fear we missed the trick and have to wait this one out and with that I vow to say no more on the subject. God bless my beloved Sierra Leone.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:56:21 +0000
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