Consultative chiefs confab on Ebola ends in Gbarnga

The Chairman of the National Traditional Council of Liberia says the government of Liberia erred by leaving the chiefs out of the fight against the Ebola virus. Speaking to our Bong County correspondent Thursday, Chief Zazan Karwor said the chiefs should have been formally informed to join the fight against Ebola so as to adequately reach out to the local citizens.

“We only heard people saying, don’t’ shake hands; don’t’ come in contact with people because we have a disease that is killing people as a result of these acts,” he told our correspondent.

Chairman Karwor expressed the belief that involving chiefs and elders was very important considering the fact that their citizens listen to them and follow their instructions, noting that the time of the virus was gradually ending with the presence of chiefs in the fight against Ebola. The traditional chief said, though the government erred by not involving early, he took the blame on behalf of the government, promising to correct the wrong.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Council of Chiefs and Elders, with support from the Carter Center are currently conducting a four-day Ebola consultative forum in Gbarnga with over one hundred chiefs and elders in attendance from various parts of the country.

The forum will be climaxed on tomorrow, Saturday with the launch of the Traditional Chiefs and Elders Taskforce on Ebola. He urged the chiefs gathered at the four-day workshop to take the message of Ebola to their people to avoid doing things that are against the fight of the deadly Killer.

The Director of Culture Affairs at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, William Jallah described the involvement of chiefs as a boost to the fight against Ebola. Director Jallah assured the chiefs of the Ministry continuous support to their participation in the battle  against Ebola in making sure the virus leaves the country.