Jonathan Frowns At Ebola Stigmatization Against Nigerians

Posted by African Examiner Ebola News, Latest Headlines, News Monday, October 27th, 2014

After a week the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Nigeria as Ebola free country, President Goodluck Jonathan said Monday in FCT Abuja, that he expects and hopes Nigerians will no longer suffer discriminatory checks and stigmatization abroad.

The President expressed the hope during an audience with the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his France counterpart, Mr. Laurent Fabius who called on him at the Presidential Villa.

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Reuben Abati, President Jonathan restated that the Federal Government’s displeasure was due to stigmatization of Nigerians by some countries after the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in July this year through a Liberian – American traveller, Patrick Sawyer.

Jonathan maintained that there was never any justifiable basis for the stigmatization anymore, since Ebola was rapidly contained in the country and never attained epidemic levels.

He promised his guests that Nigeria would remain vigilant to prevent the re-entry of the virus as he stated the Federal Government recognized that the country would remain at risk as long as the virus outbreak was still active in other West African countries and other parts of the world.

The Nigerian Leader assured the visiting Ministers, that the country would cooperate fully with other concerned nations to stop the current outbreak of the diseases in West Africa as quickly as possible.

The Ministers in their remarks told Mr. President that they were in Nigeria to seek further cooperation with the Federal Government in the growing global effort to contain the current outbreak and continuing spread of the EVD.

They commended Nigeria for successful containment of the virus and expressed their countries’ desire to collaborate more with Nigeria in helping other West African countries where the virus still ravages.

Meanwhile, the President has congratulated the newly re-elected Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, on her victory in yesterday’s final round of the country’s Presidential elections.

President Jonathan said as she prepares to begin a new term of office on January 1, 2015, Nigeria looked forward to working with her government to expand and further enhance existing relation with Brazil, especially in the area of trade and economic relations, for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.

Jonathan also applauded President Rousseff’s expressed commitment to working for greater peace, national unity and more reforms in Brazil during her second term.

He congratulated the people of Brazil for their unwavering commitment to democracy and its processes which he said produced a peaceful and acceptable outcome in the very keenly contested elections.