Ebola: APC Slams Jonathan For Aiding Spread Via Political Rallies

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Politics Thursday, August 28th, 2014

From Ganiyu Nasirudeen

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately stop series rallies being organized across the nation in his support by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), saying such gatherings are jeopardizing Nigeria’s efforts to check the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

”Mr. President, you said your ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian. But the TAN rallies for your re-election are endangering the lives of thousands of Nigerians in these days of Ebola. Some things must simply transcend politics. This is one of them. Please stop the rallies now,” the opposition party stated in a statement issued in Ilorin Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

APC said the President must in particular ensure that the rally slated for Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, this Saturday is stopped, in view of just confirmed spread of the Ebola virus in the state and the fact that 100 people have been placed under surveillance there, following the death of a medical doctor due to Ebola infection.

”If TAN goes ahead to organize its rally in Port Harcourt, can anyone guarantee that none of those who have had contact with the medical doctor will attend? It can only be better imagined the kind of danger that those who will attend the rally will be subjected to. Therefore, President Jonathan has a historic opportunity to put the well being of his compatriots above politics, for once,” APC said.

The party reminded President Jonathan of the statement he made early this month (August 8, 2014), when he declared a national state of emergency on EVD in Nigeria, thus: ”Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should, in the meantime, discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.”

The statement also reminded the President that his administration due to the outbreak of the viorus in the country has postponed the resumption of private and public primary and secondary schools across the nation as part of the measures to curtail its further spread, wondering what message the same government was sending to Nigerians by allowing TAN rallies to hold.

”Mr. President, add this to the fact that Nigeria’s economy is losing millions of dollars to the Ebola disease, and you will realize that the need to control the disease supersedes personal political considerations,” APC noted.

The party said the TAN rallies in Awka and Ibadan as well as the forthcoming ones in Port Harcourt and elsewhere flout the advice by the President against large gatherings, which he had warned could worsen the spread of the deadly disease. APC described as untenable the argument that the rallies were not organised by the government, hence the President has no control over them.

”Mr. President, you are the sole beneficiary of these rallies. Top officials of your administration, led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, have been attending the rallies. The signatures being collected by TAN are ostensibly to encourage you to run again. So this is your show,” the party stressed.

The party wondered how President Jonathan can, on one hand, be complaining about the stigmatization of Nigerians by other countries over Ebola and, on the other hand, turning a blind eye when his supporters were doing things to flout measures to control the disease by his Administration.

”The embassies of the foreign nations in Nigeria are seeing all that is happening. They are seeing how the efforts of the federal government to control Ebola are being sabotaged by the supporters of the President. How then can we complain when our citizens are stigmatized abroad? How can we complain when the foreign governments issue travel advisories to their citizens coming to Nigeria? How can we complain when they start barring Nigerians from coming to their countries on account of the Ebola virus?

”This is why we are calling on President Jonathan to call his supporters to order today. We are also calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the President not to endanger the lives of Nigerians simply because of his personal ambition,” APC exclaimed.