Article written by journalist, Cheta Nwanze...
There’s a statue in Yaba, Lagos, of a man, whom many in Nigeria have
forgotten. His family never have. And now, we all have a chance to
remember him, and in a way, to honour him. He is the man on our one
Naira coin.
Herbert Olayinka Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay, had a daughter, Sarah
Idowu Abigail, who would get married and give birth to a son, Babatunde
Kwaku Adadevoh. Babatunde would grow up to become a doctor, and have
kids of his own. One of these children, Stella Ameyo, became, like her
father, a doctor.
She would go on to work at a hospital in Obalende, Lagos, First
Consultant Hospital, not very far from where her famous ancestor was
once imprisoned by the British. Continue..
It was to be at that that place of work
that Stella Ameyo was to perform an act that would save the lives of
possibly hundreds of thousands, and sacrifice her own in return.
On July 20, 2014, a patient was wheeled in from the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport. Patrick Sawyer, the patient, had shown signs of
high fever during his flight from Monrovia, and was taken straight from
the airport to the hospital. By the next day, his condition had
deteriorated, and he was immediately placed under observation, while his
blood sample was taken, and sent for tests. That same day, Mr. Sawyer
insisted, with the help of officials of the Liberian Embassy, on being
discharged. Stella Ameyo, as supervising doctor, stood her ground that
he should not leave the hospital. It was at that point, while
reinserting his needles, that she came in contact with him, and in
effect signed her own death warrant. One of her junior colleagues,
Justina Obi Ejelonu, who had the day before when Sawyer was brought in,
helped in checking him, also assisted in placing him back in care. Like
Stella Ameyo Adadevoh, Justina Obi Ejelonu, has passed away.
There is no other word to describe the actions of both women, and
indeed their entire facility. In preventing the escape of this patient
who had insisted on leaving, in his condition, for Calabar, 750
kilometres away, both women saved countless lives. What if Mr. Sawyer
had decided that the best way to go to Calabar was to go to Jibowu and
take a bus? Even if he’d chosen to go by air, which would have made his
fellow passengers that much easier to trace, the potential damage is
incalculable.
The most tragic part of the passing of both women is that they cannot
even be buried decently, and with all the respect that their sacrifice
demands. The very bug that cut them down is so virulent, so unforgiving,
that even that honour, will be deprived them.
The sacrifice that Dr. Adadevoh and Nurse Ejelonu have made is the
highest form of sacrifice that any man, or woman, can make for his, or
her, fellow human being. It is said that there is no greater love than
to lay down your life for your friend. Both women, and their colleague,
put their lives on the line for 170 million of their fellow citizens,
many of whom do not even understand the concept of what it means to be a
citizen. The very least that Nigeria can do in appreciation, is to
honour them. I have a suggestion for such an honour, and not some
meaningless title or coin which will soon fall out of use. Nigeria
should declare August 19 each year a national holiday, and in the names
of both women. That way, some Nigerian child in six decades can ask his
parent, “Mummy, who is Stella Ameyo Adadevoh?” And the parent can reply,
“That woman saved my life, and the lives of all of us”. It is the least
we can do. It is the least we should do.
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