Friday, August 22, 2014

Douala Airport Ebola Phobia


Colleague X approaches another, let me say colleague Y, who’s not looking great.
X: What’s wrong with you?
Y: I’m not feeling well (Colleague X instantly sprints away)
X: And you’re standing near people! You want to infect them with ebola! You want to infect me with ebola!
Y: I went to the hospital yesterday. It’s malaria
X: Have you done Arik Air recently?
Y: Yes
X: Chei! Hei! Maybe you’ve been infected with ebola from those Lagos passengers at the arrival hall. Don’t come near me. Why did you even greet me?
(Trust Cameroonians to exaggerate things)
Y: It’s just fever from malaria. Ebola is not in Cameroon yet.
X: Go, go, go, go away. Why did you even come to this airport? Who told you its not here yet. Do Lagos passengers not land here? By the way, a case was confirmed at Laquintinie!!!
Y: Na lie, that Laquintinie thing. Radio one battery. Lagos passengers are tested for ebola at their airport before they board any aircraft.
X: And so, they can still bring it here. Our government should even ban all traffic to Nigeria -land, sea, air. Thank God there are no direct Douala flights to Monrovia, Freetown and Conakry. If not we’re finished. Y, I’m concerned about these Lagos flights oh!
Y: God is in control. (Smiling) if Ebola has to enter “pays”, Ebola will surface in Ebolowa.
X: Why?
Y: (smiling) Can’t you see its two letters short, Ebol”ow” a
X: You’re very stupid, very dull.
Y: Masah, this fever is making me weak!
X: Go, with your ebola.

Monday 18th 2014, Cameroon suspends all flights to Lagos, sea and land traffic, shuts down borders….Character X rejoices when he hears about it. But then, are we still safe? What about passengers from West African neighbours (Senegal, Togo, Congo) transiting via Douala???????