September 25, 2014 – President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday told the 69th assembly of the United Nations, UN that Nigeria is now Ebola-free having successfully contained the ailment.
“While Nigeria was able to respond effectively to control the spread of the disease, the situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone requires sustainable, collective global action to contain. Through the concerted efforts of our healthcare professionals, the World Health Organisation and our international partners, we have been able to contain the EVD and we can confidently say that Nigeria is today, Ebola-free”, he said.
The President who used the occasion to condemn discriminatory approach to the containing the ailment noted that such an approach could spell doom.
“It is pertinent to stress the need for the international community to properly appreciate the enormity of the EVD challenge. Indulging in isolationist and discriminatory tendencies will only worsen an already critical situation. To prevent the disease from becoming a global catastrophe, the UN must accord it the concerted effort it deserves”, he warned, noting that Nigeria has already provided funds, training and capacity building support for three countries currently suffering from Ebola, namely Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
“We have however continued to support efforts at containing the spread of the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. In addition to the direct donation of a total of three and a half million dollars ($3.5m), we have provided training and capacity building support to the three countries”, the President said.
While speaking on activities of the radical Islamic sect, the President said he is working assiduously to ensure that over 200 girls kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok are released.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the countries and organizations that expressed solidarity with us, and have continued to support our determined efforts to free our daughters. Although it has been over three months since they were abducted, we have never relented in our efforts to set them safely free. Together with our partners, we are working assiduously to free our daughters and reunite them with their families”, he said.
He thanked nations who have thrown their weight behind Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.
“I wish to thank the Government of France for organizing and hosting the Special Summit on Security in Nigeria, in Paris in May, 2014. The outcome of the French process and the follow-up in London, Washington and Abuja has helped to galvanize regional action and is already yielding positive results.
Let me underline today, that we shall not waiver until we end this mindless war on the innocent, and bring all the perpetrators to justice. We will triumph over terrorism”, and called for reform of the Security Council as part of effort to solve security challenges across the world.
“ Mr. President, the failure of unanimity of action by the Security Council over pressing challenges to global peace and security, in Syria, Iraq, the conflict in Ukraine, and the renewed aggression between Israel and Palestine, have strengthened the case for the reform of the Security Council”, he said and assured that he is determined to conduct elections in 2015 based on global best practices.
“Come February 2015, the country will conduct the 5th post-military-rule general election. As elected president by the people, we shall conduct elections based on global best practices to further strengthen our democratic institutions”, he said.
