President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the primary and secondary school teachers threatening to go on nation wide strike to protest the government declaration to open all the public schools in Nigeria because of the existence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) that his government is not a fool to want to open the schools if the disease is still breaking.
The President, who adressed some newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today said the government took decision to close the schools without consulting the teachers and would not need to consult them on when to open the schools.
“Government is not a fool. It was not any labour body that asked us to take that decision (to shut the schools). We took it because we felt that we must protect our citizens.
“I dare say Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is not saying that until the world is able to end ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone before Nigeria should open our institutions? It is not right.
“This is one government that discusses with anybody that has issues to discuss. Even NUT has no reason to threaten industrial action because of ebola, (because before) the governor took that decision, I called all the governors of the states to come with their commissioners of health. On the day of that meeting, I did not even allow them to speak because they will play politics. I asked all the commissioners, including the Secretary of Health in Abuja, to brief us on the steps they have taken and they listened to their colleagues because it was also a peer review process. If you are hiding certain things, by the time you hear your colleagues, you will go back and get things done.
“We are sure that even if one mad Sawyer comes again, nobody will contract ebola. We have managed ebola very well, the world is happy. We must tell the world that no Nigerian should be suspected of ebola and that is the position of government.”
President who appealed to teachers through the National Union of Teachers, to shelve any plan to go on an industrial action against the September 22 school resumption date.
It is on record that the NUT had on Tuesday in Abuja, kicked against the September 22, 2014, resumption date for primary and secondary schools in the country, which the federal government fixed for resumption of schools. The NUT argued that the government is yet to put the necessary equipment in schools to prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The body also directed all its members nationwide to stay away from schools until they are convinced “beyond reasonable doubt” that the government has provided all preventive and protective gadgets, such as infra-red thermometers, sanitizers, running water, gloves and teachers adequately trained.
The National President of the NUT, Dr. Michael Alogba Olukoya had also said that it is only a few states that have trained teachers on the EVD.
But President Jonathan insisted that there was no longer cause for alarm as the country is now almost free and well prepared to stem any new cases that may emerge.
“I will plead with NUT and other unions that this does not require industrial action. They should commend government. (hey worked with us; they are Nigerians, all Nigerians must work together to make sure that ebola is contained. Why do we want to create problems while it is not necessary. It is uncalled for.
“Presently, there is no case of ebola in Nigeria. Nobody in Nigeria has ebola now. All the people that had the symptoms of ebola have recovered. Out of 19, we lost seven and the others have recovered. Yes they are few people we are observing. That is not to say we may not record ebola again as long ebola is still in the West Coast, it is there in Guinea Conakry, it is there in Liberia, it is there in Sierra Leone. “Presently, our airports are properly protected (so much that) if Sawyer were to arrive Nigeria now, no Nigerian would have contracted ebola because of the level of preparation”
The President explained that the continued shutting down of schools will amount to the continous stigmatization of Nigerian citizens as it would send out the wrong signals.
“You see, one thing people don’t know and that is why all these Labour Unions and NUT are making noise: if you are in Nigerian today and you travel to some countries, they don’t even want you to enter the countries. Our athletes were segregated in China and they had to return to the country. A place like China asked Minister of the Federal Republic to show prove of ebola free certificate, very discouraging. And what people don’t know is that as long as you close your institutions because of ebola, the ambassadors that are here with us and the high commissioners send what you call dispatches to their home states about what is happening in our country monthly.
“As long as we Nigerians close all our public institutions because of ebola, the dispatches that go to the whole world is that ebola is a problem in Nigeria. And as long as we declare that ebola is a problem in Nigeria, any Nigerian that travels out will be treated as someone that has ebola. We have been able to manage ebola and the whole world is happy with us and we mus tell the whole world that we have managed ebola and no Nigerian should be segregated because of ebola.
“In fact, Osun State was to have its festival and the news came to me that it should be cancelled and I said no, ebola is no longer a threat in Nigeria and we must tell the world that we have been able to contained ebola.
“Yes, ebola is in the West Coast, it could happen in Ghana, it could happen in Senegal or any of the West African countries or beyond but they have not closed down their institutions. If we still have ebola definitely we will not open any of our institutions but we don’t have ebola.”
The President commended Nigerians for their cooperation in the management of the disease, adding: “this is one thing that the whole country came together and worked together without issue of politics; there was no issue of religion and there was no issue of ethnicity. In fact, that was why we were able to contain the disease. If Nigerians did not agree, we wouldn’t have succeeded.
“I use this opportunity to thank all the governors because I met with all the governors and all the commissioners for health and all the states set up mechinaries to manage the ebola, if at all it turned up. I have to specifically appreciate the governors of Lagos and Rivers State that had incidence of ebola and how they worked with federal government to manage the situation.”
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