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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Liberian Executive Protection Service -57 Agents Quarantined #ebola

Ebola Strikes EPS - 57 Agents Quarantined

As the Ebola virus continues to spread throughout the country like wildfire, the elite presidential guard- the Executive Protection Service, formerly the Special Security Service is the latest hit by the deadly disease.
57 of its officers and agents are currently being quarantined on suspicion of contracting the virus. Information gathered by this paper point to the fact the active EPS agents were being quarantined for attending the funeral and burial of a colleague reportedly died as a result of the deadly virus.

According to a document in the possession of this paper under the directive of the Director of the Presidential elite force-EPS, Col.  Frank O. Nyekan, the 57 agents were asked to stay off the job for 21 days for participating in the funeral of Agent Ballah O. Dennis, who finally died on August 15, 2014.

A citation, under the signature of Agent Joseph Kollie, supervisor of the Human Resource Section of the EPS, issued on September 15, 2014, states: “by directive of the administration, through Director Frank O. Nyekan, the below listed employees of the EPS are hereby instructed to report to the office of the professional standard to state the role they played during the funeral service and burial of the late Agent Ballah O. Dennis,” the citation instructed.

The two page-citation further stated: “In the same vein, they are hereby advised to stay away from work until the Professional Standard Section comes up with analytical report and recommendations relative to their roles played during the funeral service and burial of the late agent. Let this administrative instruction claim your attention and act accordingly to avoid future embarrassment,” it warned. Agent Dennis was assigned with the presidential motorcade prior to his demised at the “hands of Ebola”.

According to our sources, the late Agent Dennis, along with other family members, accompanied for medication an ailing relative (named not revealed) to several hospitals in Monrovia, including the SDA Cooper, SOS, ELWA, and government- run John F. Kennedy Medical Center, but was rejected on the basis of his condition.

Later at the Goodwill Clinic in Fiamah, SDinkor, where they thought there would have been little hope, the patient was denied acceptance because medical practitioners at the clinic observed serious symptoms of the Ebola virus disease. The Ailing EPS Agent was later taken back to his residence in the Tulsa Field Community Gardinersville, outside Monrovia where he finally died.

When Presidential Spokesman Jerolinmek  Piah was contacted via mobile phone Wednesday afternoon, he declined to comment on grounds that he only speaks for the president’s office and not the Executive Protection Service. When the Director of the EPS, Col. Frank O. Nyekan was finally contacted via mobile phone, he told this paper that he was in a meeting and could not speak to the issue.   

However, it is unclear as to whether the Late Agent Ballah O. Dennis closely and personally interacted with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in recent times prior to death as a member of the Presidential motorcade.
http://www.thenewdawnliberia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12704:ebola-strikes-eps-57-agents-quarantined&catid=25:politics&Itemid=59