EBOLA: More Revelations on Patrick Sawyer [Read More]

When he arrived Lagos aboard a Togolese Asky Airlines aircraft on Sunday July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer, the late American-Liberian was on the threshold of history.

The chronicle of events following his disembarkation at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and subsequent admission at First Consultants Hospital, Obalende underscore why his name has become synonymous with the spectre of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria. Sawyer will never be forgotten as the importer of the dreaded infectious Ebola virus into the country. He was the first ever confirmed case and No.1 fatality of the incurable Ebola virus disease in Nigeria.

  Two days before Sawyer embarked on his odyssey to Lagos from Monrovia, his sister, Princess Christina Nyennetue, had died of the dreaded disorder. Not too many people knew it, but following his sister’s demise, Sawyer who had been with her during her illness until her eventual death  sent out a disheartening email to a number of close friends and associates as well as a senior official at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.

Saturday Vanguard intercepted the online communication obtained by FrontPageAfrica. The email, entitled “Ebola Struck Close to Home” offers a glimpse into the mind of the late Sawyer and what he was thinking prior to his now controversial death in Lagos.

In the email dated July 10, 2014, Sawyer described the death of his sister as “Promising Young Life Cheated”.

The email reads…..

From: Patrick O. Sawyer, Date: Thu, Jul 10, 2014 at 6:09 AM;

Subject: Ebola Struck Close to Home

To: Benetta Tarr

“H. Urias Harrington”

Dear All, My junior sister, Miss Princess Christina Nyennetue (Age 27) died on Tuesday July 8th at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital. At my request, the Ministry of Health agreed to extract blood specimens from her body in search for cause of death and the result just came in this morning…she died of Ebola Disease. Princess was the only girl child of my mother’s five  children…this make (sic) it particularly difficult for us especially for my mother who lives alone in Southwest Philadelphia . If you Facebook searched my late sister Princess, you will soon realize that death has cheated a promising young life. Thanks to you all once more for your many messages of condolence and best wishes. Good day.

*Patrick Oliver Sawyer / Head *ECOWAS NATIONAL OFFICE*

*MINISTRY OF FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT PLANNING *

Following Sawyer’s death on Lagos on July 25, his widow, Decontee,  implied on a social media site that her husband came to Nigeria to seek treatment because he had a distrust of the healthcare system in Liberia .

According to Decontee : “Patrick went to Nigeria for help so that he can get properly diagnosed, and not misdiagnosed in Liberia. And if it came back that he did have Ebola, he trusted the Nigerian healthcare system a lot more than he trusted the Liberian’s. His action, as off as it was, was a desperate plea for help. Patrick didn’t want to die, and he thought his life would be saved in Nigeria.”

According to findings, the day after Sawyer sent out the email about his sister’s death from Ebola, a notice of the development appeared in The Satellite, newsletter of ArcellorMittal, the mining company where he (Sawyer) was a consultant.

The notice is republished here:

Important Ebola Notice to All Employees and Contractors

“A family member of an ArcelorMittal Liberia employee died on Tuesday, July 8th, in Monrovia due to a confirmed case of the Ebola virus. The employee had minimal contact with the victim, at the state where the virus was infectious. Doctors say the risk of potential transfer to any member of the ArcelorMittal staff or contractors is very low. The employee has submitted to the Ministry of Health for a medical examination for possible Ebola infection, and has also requested the Ministry of Health to make the result available to ArcelorMittal Liberia and its close affiliates. There is no evidence to suggest that the employee has been infected. Under the Ministry of Health guidelines, the employee is being monitored on a daily basis and will continue to do so for a period of 21 days. During this time the employee will be absent from work. ArcelorMittal Liberia is providing all support necessary to the employee and his family during this very difficult time, and our thoughts are with them.”

The company newsletter issued another letter on July 25, 2014 announcing Sawyer’s death.

The announcement was signed by one Antonio Carlos reads:

Ebola Statement

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to inform you that today ArcelorMittal received information that the employee whose family member died on Tuesday July 8th in Monrovia due to a confirmed case of the Ebola virus has died today, from a suspected case of Ebola.

Results of the Ebola test are awaited. The first thing I want to reassure everyone is that the employee, Patrick Sawyer, had very limited contact with his ArcelorMittal colleagues since his contact with the victim and therefore we do not believe anyone working at ArcelorMittal will be at risk. Patrick was last at the Buchanan site on 9th July when he informed us about the death of his sister. We are speaking directly with those who met Patrick on this day to reassure them of this fact.

Having informed us of this news, Patrick was submitted to the Ministry of Health for a medical observation and isolation and requested not to return to work until he had passed through the incubation period.

He has not been at the Buchanan site or in any ArcelorMittal office since that time. Our thoughts and support are with his family at this very difficult time. In the meantime, we continue to urge every employee and contractor to take the greatest level of care with regards to their health. As you are all aware, ArcelorMittal is using

Thermoflash scanners to measure the temperature of each employee as this is a useful initial screening sign for Ebola. Any employee or contractor with a high temperature will be referred to medical personnel who will examine and, if necessary, direct the individual to a secure area. We recognize this is difficult news, particularly for those who knew Patrick, who was a very committed and valued employee. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your head of department.”

Antonio Carlos.