BY Fredrick Nwabufo
Decontee Sawyer, widow of late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer, has responded to stinging criticism of her explanations on why her husband travelled to Nigeria, saying her intention was not to defend her husband’s action.
Sawyer’s travel to Nigeria, despite the orders of Liberian authorities against it, is responsible for Nigeria’s share of a viral disease that has claimed more than 1,350 lives in West Africa.
Mrs Sawyer then wrote a letter saying her husband travelled to Nigeria to get help because of the poor healthcare in Liberia.
But in her latest public comment, she has apologised to Nigerians, revealing that Patrick had since abandoned her and their three children for a new wife in Liberia after securing a plum job in the West African country.
“Patrick and I have been separated (not yet divorced) for the past one year and seven months. He left me when I was seven months pregnant with our third child. We already had a three-year-old, and a four-year-old together, with a third on the way,” she explained in a letter to Nigerian blogger Peace Ben Williams.
“He left us all and started a new family in Liberia. I was left by myself to now raise three children alone, one of which (my 3-year-old at the time) was diagnosed with autism. That in itself was a challenge (and still is). Patrick left us, and he never turned back.
“We only communicated occasionally regarding our children. I was under so much emotional stress during my labour that I almost lost my last child, Bella. Thank God she is now a healthy 18-month-old girl. Patrick and I now have a six-year-old, a five-year-old, and an 18-month-old together (all girls). He and his mistress have a two-year-old daughter together in Liberia. They lived together in the house that he and I built together. Can you believe the idiot named the child he had with his mistress after me?”
Decontee described her estranged husband as a confused and troubled man.
“The man was deeply confused and troubled. So, my dear, my letter I wrote was not to defend my husband (the man that abandoned me with two small children while I was pregnant for the third). My letter was to shine light on the beyond-broken healthcare system and bad governance of Liberia under President Sirleaf and previous presidents.
“Ebola didn’t start with Patrick in Liberia, as we both know. Ebola was in Liberia from a traveller from Guinea since February of this year. The government knew about it and did nothing. Many Liberians, including myself, called out to the government then to close the borders. They didn’t do so until one of their own, Patrick, died in July.
“Many people died before Patrick and their lives were just as important. That is my frustration. Ebola didn’t have to go to Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, had the Liberian government taken drastic actions sooner. I too, have family members and friends in Nigeria, and now they are at risk because of Patrick’s actions. In spite of my anger and disappointment with him, I don’t believe that he did this with evil intent (I could be wrong). I believe his actions was that of a desperate man. And sad for everyone involved, Nigeria was closer than the US. This is just my take on what he could have been thinking (of course, I could be wrong).
“My regret is that I was so caught up in my own pain and frustration, that I neglected to see the pain of the innocent people both in Liberia and Nigeria who are affected by Patrick’s actions. For that, I am deeply sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was to cause them pain. It is a pain I know. It is a pain I don’t want them to have. The interesting thing is, I didn’t even know Patrick was in Nigeria until my sister living in Boston (USA) told me the day before he died.
“Patrick barely talked with me. He was too busy being a Liberian government big shot. Power, if not used to glorify God, can bring down a nation. It brought down my family. I finally had a lawyer in Liberia serve Patrick with divorce papers exactly a week before he died. He never signed it. Now I’m left as his widow taking the heat while his mistress sits in peace. I just read your open letter this morning.
“I cannot apologise for Patrick’s actions because I didn’t cause them. He did a lot of things I didn’t like; going to Nigeria was one of them. His act was one of a desperate man. Many Nigerians and Liberians are affected because of that act of desperation. I want to reach out to them and express how deeply saddened and sorry I am for their loss and their pain. I do apologize if my words have cost anyone who is grieving more pain. I fall on my knees and ask God for his healing power for all of those who are still infected with Ebola. I pray for all of the families whose loved ones were taken away by this merciless killer Ebola, especially those affected by Patrick’s actions.I pray for the people of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
“I pray for the people of Africa. We are all affected by Ebola. It will take all of us working together to eradicate Ebola. Ebola must go, and we must kick it out together. The God in me wouldn’t allow me to go and hide. He strengthens me to stay and fight. I’m fighting to help bring aid to my brothers and sisters in Africa.
“I am committed to this fight. But I cannot do it by myself. I need all of your help.The good people of the world, not just Africa, need to come together, and fight together. We can either do it together or win, or we can tear one another down and lose. This is not just my fight, or Africa’s fight. This is the world’s fight. Thank you, and God bless you all.”
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