The Presidency on Sunday said no member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to the United States for the African/American Leaders Summit was screened for exposure to the dreaded Ebola virus on arrival at Washington DC.
Jonathan and some top government officials arrived the US on Sunday for the summit billed for Monday (today). Punch reports that President Barack Obama was quoted on Friday as saying that some African participants attending the summit would be screened for exposure to the dreaded virus which is currently ravaging some West African countries. Obama explained that the action would be taken to protect the US from the outbreak of the disease.
He said:
“Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.”
Obama’s statement fuelled speculations that Jonathan and members of his entourage might be subjected to screening before they could be allowed into the country. But shortly after arriving the US, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, disclosed on his Twitter handle that no member of the President’s entourage was screened.
Two African leaders had already said that they would not attend the meeting because of the outbreak of the Ebola disease in their countries. The leaders are the presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernest BaiKoroma, respectively.
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