Ebola: Stop stigmatising Nigerians, Jonathan tells international community President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in Abuja reiterated his call on the international community to stop discriminatory checks and stigmatisation of Nigerians abroad now that the World Health Organisation has certified the country free of Ebola virus Disease (EVD). And in a renewed effort to ensure that Nigeria is not re-infected, the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, formally presented his Chief Adviser on Scientific Matters, Dr. Adekemi Sekoni, to the State Executive Council. Jonathan spoke at an audience with the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius and the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who called on him at the Presidential Villa. The President restated the Federal Government’s displeasure over the stigmatisation of Nigerians by some countries even after WHO has certified Nigeria Ebola-free. He maintained that there was never any justifiable basis for the stigmatisation of Nigerians since Ebola was rapidly contained in the country and never attained epidemic level. Jonathan informed the envoys that Nigeria would remain fully vigilant to prevent the re-entry of the virus because the Federal Government recognised that the country was still at risk as long as Ebola continued to ravage other West African countries or any other part of the world. Nigeria would therefore co-operate fully with other concerned nations to stop the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa as quickly as possible, the President assured the visiting ministers. The ministers had explained that they were in Nigeria to seek further co-operation with the Federal Government in the growing global effort to contain the current outbreak and continuing spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. They praised Nigeria’s successful containment of the virus and expressed the desire of France, Germany and the European Union to collaborate more with Nigeria in helping other West African countries where the virus still remains active. Presenting Sekoni at the Executive Council Chambers, Lagos House, Ikeja, Fashola said the appointment became necessary in the face of current realities in the health sector as well as the environment. He reiterated that the appointment was borne out of the lessons learnt while combating the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was successfully contained in the country. He expressed optimism that the appointment would enable his administration to make optimal use of scientific knowledge in combating future challenges. “Public health issues are the biggest issues in global centres today, so what should we do assuming that we get re-infected? These are many more questions that we must find credible answers to and develop well thought out plans ahead of any eventualities,” he stated.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:06:02 +0000
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