President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, honoured the late Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevor, the woman reputed for stopping the spread of the spread of Ebola virus in Nigeria with a posthumous award at the 2019/2020 edition of the National Productivity Day.

Dr Adadevoh, who died on August 19, 2014, was recognised for her outstanding performance in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus in the country while sacrificing her own life.

She is credited with having curbed a wider spread of the Western African Ebola virus epidemic in Nigeria by placing the patient zero, Patrick Sawyer, in quarantine despite pressures from different quarters especially a Liberian government official.

When threatened by Liberian officials who wanted the patient to be discharged to attend a conference in Calabar, Adedevor resisted the pressure and was quoted to have said, “for the greater public good” she would not release him. 

She is known for preventing the Nigerian index case from leaving the hospital at the time of diagnosis, thereby playing a key role in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

Sawyer, a Liberian-American lawyer was the index case for the introduction of Ebola virus disease into Nigeria during the West African Ebola epidemic.

Sawyer utilized an upcoming conference in Calabar, Cross River State, to petition the Liberian Finance Ministry to attend as an "ambassador" where his departure was approved despite being aware that he was sick.  

On 20 July 2014, Sawyer flew to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where he was observed to have appeared terribly ill.

He collapsed upon arriving at the Airport and was he was driven by a protocol officer of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, pool car to the First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos, where he later died.

Other recipients of the award include the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; immediate past Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chike Ihekweazu; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi; Chairman and Founder, BUA Group, Abdusamad Rabiu;  Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jnr; Professor Stanley Okolo, Director General of the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and Allen Onyema, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, among others.