Jonathan decries politicisation of fight against Ebola
• Nigerian passenger isolated at Spanish airport over virus
• UK seeks aid for African countries
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed grave concern over what he described as a deliberate attempt to politicise the country’s success in conquering the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
He declared that neither he nor any state governor should claim credit for the laudable efforts of ordinary Nigerians.
The president was obviously reacting to allegations raised by opposition politicians that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government was claiming sole credit for checking the spread of the disease in the country without recognising Lagos and Rivers state governments.
During the launch of the Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund at the Presidential Villa, Jonathan said rather than any level of government taking undue credit for the successes recorded in containing the disease, a larger credit should go to average Nigerians as well as religious and social groups that made the sacrifices in their attitudes and conduct which helped ensure the country was now Ebola-free.
According to him, the president is impressed by the new spirit of trust and working relationship between the government and the organised private sectors, which has engendered a renewed sense of corporate responsibility from them.
He cited their prompt reaction to natural disasters such as the 2012 flood which ravaged most parts of the country as well as their positive responses during the recently launched Victims Support Fund to assist the families of the victims of the ongoing insurgent attacks in some parts of the country.
He said such unity of purpose and compassion by Nigerians was equally seen during the efforts to raise funds two years ago for victims of 2011 flood disaster in the country. He said that N11 billion was still left of those donations.
He then announced a Federal Government’s donation of N250 million to the N1.5billion Elumelu Fund which the promoters said would be channelled to revitalising the economies of post-conflict communities like those in the Niger Delta and Jos, Plateau State.
He said : “While government continues her immense security operations to eliminate the threat and to restore law and order, we recognise that the assault on that region has all but destroyed infrastructure, displaced population and arrested economic activities.
“Rehabilitating those communities will require interventions not just from the government alone but also from the private sector. I’m therefore pleased to see that the Tony Elumelu Fund and our industry and private sector leaders, stepped up to the occasion by contributing significantly to the victims support fund. Their kind gesture was a clear demonstration of how much the private and public sectors can achieve in working together for national transformation.”
The fund, according to Elumelu would create opportunities and empower people in affected communities across Nigeria to rebuild their lives and businesses, and instill a sense of economic empowerment for the long-term.
Besides, an Air France 1300 flight was yesterday isolated at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport in Spain over fears that a Nigerian passenger on the airline had Ebola.
The spokespersons for Aena, the airport operator and Spain’s Ministry of health, told Reuters that Ebola emergency measures had been activated at the facility.
The latest scare comes just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Nigeria would be officially declared Ebola-free on October 20.
WHO had said Nigeria and Senegal would be cleared of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, if the two countries successfully complete a 42-day period without recording new cases.
In separate statements, Aena and Air France confirmed that a passenger on the Lagos outbound flight via Paris started shaking during the flight.
As soon as the flight touched down at the airport, Air France said the other passengers disembarked from the plane before it was towed away to be disinfected.
It also confirmed that the return flight had been cancelled.
The Spanish government has stepped up its response to suspected Ebola cases in the wake of a health scare when a nurse in Madrid became infected with the deadly virus in the current outbreak.
The nurse, Teresa Romero, was diagnosed with the virus last week and is still seriously ill but stable.
Romero had cared for two infected priests repatriated from West Africa and who later died.
Spanish authorities said yesterday that a person who had been in contact with Romero and was being monitored remotely for signs of the disease would be hospitalised after developing a fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola.
The person was one of 68 considered to have a low risk of catching Ebola, and who have to check their temperature regularly from home.
Another 15 people, including Romero’s husband, are still under observation for signs of Ebola in Madrid’s Carlos III hospital where she is also being treated, but have shown no symptoms.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary, Phillip Hammond has said that if the outbreak of Ebola is unchecked, it could have catastrophic consequences beyond Africa.
He urged all those who pledged to help to turn their words into actions as a matter of “extreme” urgency, saying it was not an African problem, but a global problem that needed a global response before it was too late.
According to Hammond in a statement issued on Wednesday, Ebola is a major threat that that knows no borders.
He said that until now, it had been too easy for those outside the continent to dismiss the outbreak as an African problem, but with cases now diagnosed in the United States and Spain, the risks to the world at large were clearer than ever.
• UK seeks aid for African countries
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed grave concern over what he described as a deliberate attempt to politicise the country’s success in conquering the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
He declared that neither he nor any state governor should claim credit for the laudable efforts of ordinary Nigerians.
The president was obviously reacting to allegations raised by opposition politicians that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government was claiming sole credit for checking the spread of the disease in the country without recognising Lagos and Rivers state governments.
During the launch of the Elumelu Nigeria Empowerment Fund at the Presidential Villa, Jonathan said rather than any level of government taking undue credit for the successes recorded in containing the disease, a larger credit should go to average Nigerians as well as religious and social groups that made the sacrifices in their attitudes and conduct which helped ensure the country was now Ebola-free.
According to him, the president is impressed by the new spirit of trust and working relationship between the government and the organised private sectors, which has engendered a renewed sense of corporate responsibility from them.
He cited their prompt reaction to natural disasters such as the 2012 flood which ravaged most parts of the country as well as their positive responses during the recently launched Victims Support Fund to assist the families of the victims of the ongoing insurgent attacks in some parts of the country.
He said such unity of purpose and compassion by Nigerians was equally seen during the efforts to raise funds two years ago for victims of 2011 flood disaster in the country. He said that N11 billion was still left of those donations.
He then announced a Federal Government’s donation of N250 million to the N1.5billion Elumelu Fund which the promoters said would be channelled to revitalising the economies of post-conflict communities like those in the Niger Delta and Jos, Plateau State.
He said : “While government continues her immense security operations to eliminate the threat and to restore law and order, we recognise that the assault on that region has all but destroyed infrastructure, displaced population and arrested economic activities.
“Rehabilitating those communities will require interventions not just from the government alone but also from the private sector. I’m therefore pleased to see that the Tony Elumelu Fund and our industry and private sector leaders, stepped up to the occasion by contributing significantly to the victims support fund. Their kind gesture was a clear demonstration of how much the private and public sectors can achieve in working together for national transformation.”
The fund, according to Elumelu would create opportunities and empower people in affected communities across Nigeria to rebuild their lives and businesses, and instill a sense of economic empowerment for the long-term.
Besides, an Air France 1300 flight was yesterday isolated at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport in Spain over fears that a Nigerian passenger on the airline had Ebola.
The spokespersons for Aena, the airport operator and Spain’s Ministry of health, told Reuters that Ebola emergency measures had been activated at the facility.
The latest scare comes just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Nigeria would be officially declared Ebola-free on October 20.
WHO had said Nigeria and Senegal would be cleared of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, if the two countries successfully complete a 42-day period without recording new cases.
In separate statements, Aena and Air France confirmed that a passenger on the Lagos outbound flight via Paris started shaking during the flight.
As soon as the flight touched down at the airport, Air France said the other passengers disembarked from the plane before it was towed away to be disinfected.
It also confirmed that the return flight had been cancelled.
The Spanish government has stepped up its response to suspected Ebola cases in the wake of a health scare when a nurse in Madrid became infected with the deadly virus in the current outbreak.
The nurse, Teresa Romero, was diagnosed with the virus last week and is still seriously ill but stable.
Romero had cared for two infected priests repatriated from West Africa and who later died.
Spanish authorities said yesterday that a person who had been in contact with Romero and was being monitored remotely for signs of the disease would be hospitalised after developing a fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola.
The person was one of 68 considered to have a low risk of catching Ebola, and who have to check their temperature regularly from home.
Another 15 people, including Romero’s husband, are still under observation for signs of Ebola in Madrid’s Carlos III hospital where she is also being treated, but have shown no symptoms.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary, Phillip Hammond has said that if the outbreak of Ebola is unchecked, it could have catastrophic consequences beyond Africa.
He urged all those who pledged to help to turn their words into actions as a matter of “extreme” urgency, saying it was not an African problem, but a global problem that needed a global response before it was too late.
According to Hammond in a statement issued on Wednesday, Ebola is a major threat that that knows no borders.
He said that until now, it had been too easy for those outside the continent to dismiss the outbreak as an African problem, but with cases now diagnosed in the United States and Spain, the risks to the world at large were clearer than ever.
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