Ecobank has donated Le225,000,000 (USD50,000) to the Government of Sierra Leone to assist it in combatting the deadly Ebola virus which has ravaged Sierra Leone and several other West African countries. Ecobank Sierra Leone Managing Director Clement Dodoo made the donation to President Ernest Bai Koroma in his office at State House in Freetown on Tuesday on behalf of Ecobank Group CEO Albert Essien and the Ecobank family.

Mr Dodoo lauded the measures put in place by the Sierra Leone government and others in the Manu River Union in an effort to combat the virus. "In the spirit of Pan-Africanism, we at Ecobank believe that the current Ebola menace is a fight for all of us in the country and on the wider African continent," he said. "We believe your government needs all the resources it requires to fight this menace and we cannot sit and allow the government to go it alone."

The Ecobank Sierra Leone managing director conveyed the condolences of the entire Ecobank Group to the government and people of Sierra Leone for the loss of life so far, including the deaths of Drs Sheikh Umar Khan and Modupeh Cole as well as nurses and other health workers who had diligently and selflessly given service in the fight to save lives. "What they stood for," Mr Dodoo said, "gives us all the zeal to continue the fight against Ebola and kick it out of Sierra Leone."

The managing director also took the opportunity to appeal to the Sierra Leonean police, who he said must ensure that passengers are not overloaded in public and private transport. He stressed that the true means to success in fighting the virus was by diligently adhering to the preventive measures prescribed by the experts.

He further called on other corporate bodies in the country to join in the struggle to make Sierra Leone safe and free from Ebola. He particularly enjoined sister banking institutions to supplement their initial donation as an association by still donating more to the cause.

President Koroma extended the heartfelt appreciation of the government and people of Sierra Leone to Ecobank for the gesture and for being a worthy corporate citizen in this hour of need.

Ecobank is pursuing similar corporate social responsibility initiatives in Guinea and Liberia, which have also been seriously affected by the Ebola epidemic.

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