Five books for Doctor Adadevoh

Reel back to a certain Mr Sawyer who carrying the deadly disease on him emptied it on Nigerians and took with him several medical personnel including the amiable Dr Adadevoh, descendant of the great Nigerian patriot, Herbert Macaulay and the distinguished former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Kwaku Adadevoh. A lineage of […]

Reel back to a certain Mr Sawyer who carrying the deadly disease on him emptied it on Nigerians and took with him several medical personnel including the amiable Dr Adadevoh, descendant of the great Nigerian patriot, Herbert Macaulay and the distinguished former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Kwaku Adadevoh. A lineage of selfless service to the nation an attribute that Dr Adadevoh imbibed and displayed to the very end. I have often asked myself how many Nigerians in these climes of poor work ethics, quick money syndrome and distilled selfishness would have done what Dr Adadevoh did; restrain a man with a highly infectious disease from travelling to Calabar and destroying the nation called Nigeria at the risk of her own life. She died for Nigeria clearly, a top level sacrifice for nation and man. A National hero in every sense of the word.
 Copious words have been written about Doctor Adadevoh, praise, admiration and gratitude have been the theme of these write ups. It has not been easy reading them. The pain resurfaces each time and I am totally benumbed by what I read every time and all the details surrounding the sawyer case. I have chosen Dr Adadevoh to celebrate as a symbol of the Ebola heroes with no intention of reducing the impact of the deaths of the others. The nurse, the matron and all those who died after contact with Mr Sawyer are our collective national heroes but today I have as I earlier said picked one of them as a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice.
When the late President Kennedy made his famous speech which included the saying “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for it,” he captured the essence of the Ebola heroes and heroines.
 Today we remember one of them, Dr Ameyo Adadevoh through books. Let us spare a thought for her family today and pray that God grants them eternal rest. Amen.
Here are some books to help us process our thoughts around those who died to save us all.

1) Nadine Gordimer’s Living in Hope and History is a political book all right but will immediately help you to put in perspective what it takes to live in a time of danger and apartheid. I watch today how we stigmatise cured Ebola victims. Apartheid means separation. Perhaps a post-apartheid book will enable us understand the social consequences of Post Ebola Nigeria. It is time that sociologists, politicians, public health experts, medical personnel and policy makers begin to understand what this means and situate it with other epidemics, situations in other countries and understand how this affects the larger society.

2)      The Purpose Driven Life, the no 1 New York Times Bestseller is my go to book when things confuse me and I am left standing at the door of the almighty asking why. The death of many of our compatriots in this Ebola saga shocked me and took me back to this book which pretty much explains a lot about why we are here.
Although written around Christian principles it is a book for all faiths. As author, Max Lucado comments in the book’s blurb “Disoriented about your direction in life? Are decisions tough to make and steps hard to take? If so Rick Warren has written a masterpiece of wise counsel for you…”

Read any of the International magazines for the International dimension and global reaction to Ebola. I have been reading all the pieces written by Time magazine in the last four weeks.  I am now more educated about the root cause of this disease, what the public health officials in the bigger western nations are doing in preparing for future eventualities. Some of the questions asked will intrigue. Will this virus mutate from infecting through bodily fluids as it currently stands to becoming an airborne virus? They even cite many viruses in the past which have transmorphed? What are the public health challenges? What does it mean for air travel? How do we react and contain the animals that move with it in the forests? Scary questions but necessary to prepare.

I have said here many times, poetry soothes the soul in times of confusion sadness and difficulties. My recommended poetry book carries a title that immediately paints the picture of Dr Adadevoh in flight, away from the troubles of the world. Once upon an Eagle by Dr Iorwwuese Hagher is a good book to read at this time. The poem particularly dedicated to Dr Adadevoh will be Born to Fly on page 32. Here are some verses,
 
Born
Like sprouts
In the rice field
In watery sustenance,
Not minding the fields,
No mingling hours…
                       
Born,
Like lingering melodies
In the middle of the whirlwind
In turbulent circumstances
Not minding the clamour of gutters
Nor mingling in traps and snares…
 
Fly
Visions soar
In the clarity of tomorrows
In whites and greens and blood
Not mourning appearances
Nor seeking the self podium…

4)      Short stories reach to the depth of your heart; and with its twists and turns bring a story to an uncommon crescendo and sets you thinking. I am constantly in the throes of the gods and goddesses of short stories, Alice Munroe, Nadine Gordimer, any short story writer is an art unto themselves. At times like this, it is good to seek refuge under the canopy some of the best. Out of habit, I buy the Caine Prize collection every year. This time I am reading The Obituary Tango, a selection of writing from the Caine Prize for African writing 2005. An incredible collection of the winning Entry Segun Afolabi’s Monday morning and the shortlisted stories together with stories written at the Celtel Caine Prize writers workshop near Navisha, Kenya in 2006. The shortlisted authors include Doreen Baingana who writes the most hilarious and nimble stories , Jamal Mahjoub, Muthal Naidoo and our own Ike Okonta  whose story in this collection kept me thinking for a long time about the human condition.

Bonus Books:
Let us return to the holy books and read them for strength in the face of daunting national challenges.
Let us read memoirs that give hope to enable us remember Dr Adadevoh and immortalise her and others in our hearts.
Let us read more poetry books and always stop to admire flowers in her memory and show love and make sacrifices and improve our work ethics all in memory of a good woman who sacrificed for us all.