Yet Stella put National safety above personal interest. It was for her singular effort that Nigeria won accolades from the World Health Organization as the most populous nation that dealt with the killer virus with dispatch.
It is exactly four years today that Stella Adeyo Adadevoh, the selfless and conscientious medical doctor, died. Were she alive today Stella would have been 66-odd in terms of age. Perhaps she would have been nestling in the bosom of her family, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. But no she is gone for good from here; just because she paid the supreme price to buy the souls of many. Stella died so that others might leave.
Stella, it was who first realized that the Liberian-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer had contracted Ebola. Instead of turning a blind eye, considering the fatal nature of the disease, she insisted on getting the man quarantined. And knowing the danger of releasing the man to the public she refused to heed to the persistent pleas from Sawyer’s employer to let him attend a conference in Calabar.
In a period of our National life when everybody was avoiding physical contact with everybody else regardless of their prior intimacy or relationship; and the tactile nature of Nigerians was guardedly “restrained”. Yet Stella put National safety above personal interest. It was for her singular effort that Nigeria won accolades from the World Health Organization as the most populous nation that dealt with the killer virus with dispatch.
As we celebrate the fourth anniversary of her death today the Federal Government will do well to immortalize Adadevoh who was a combination of diligence, altruism and patriotism in her lifetime. Having earlier turned down the call to bestow her with National Award by saying the award is not given posthumously they should name a National hospital after her.
This is essential at this period in our National life when a lot of people mistake mere noise for courage and bravado for true heroism when the the country is seriously suffering from the dearth of genuine role models. The woman, Stella, who saved this country from the ravaging blow of the killer Ebola virus should not be forgotten, her name should be accorded pride of place in the register of National heroes just like that of her great-grandfather, Herbert Macaulay.
Continue to rest in peace, genuine and inspirational heroine.