A Nigerian cleric has a simple antidote to the Ebola virus epidemic in some parts of West Africa: prayers.
And we hope officials of the World Health Organisation and Medecins Sans Frontieres are reading!

Sheikh Suleiman Bibire, the Chief Imam of Tudunwada Central Mosque, Lugbe, Abuja,the Nigerian capital on Tuesday urged Nigerians to intensify prayers to stop the spread of the virus.

Bibire, who made the call in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said prayer was the only weapon that could salvage the situation.

He called on Nigerian leaders, irrespective of their religious, ethnic and socio-political differences to turn to God in the present situation.

“ With prayers and sincerity, Ebola will be controlled in no distant time. In every condition or situation we find ourselves; whether in our community or in the country, prayer is the key to solving problem facing the society,” he said.

Bibire, however, urged Muslim leaders to educate their followers on the symptoms and mode of infection to avoid contacting the disease. He also called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to continue to isolate victims of the virus to avert further casualties.

The religious leaders also advised government to liaise with the international community for assistance in its quest to tackle the virus.

He said people should avoid traveling to countries where the virus is prevalent, adding, “if you know where such virus is, there is no point going there, since it is highly contagious and spreads fast.

“ Those in the affected areas should not be allowed to travel to other countries to avoid spreading the virus