TAN's rallies are frustrating Ebola control measures, APC tells Jonathan
(Nigeria )
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan
to immediately halt the rallies being organised across the nation in his
support by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, saying that the
rallies are jeopardizing Nigeria 's
efforts to control the spread of Ebola.
''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 party said in a statement in Ilorin , Kwara
State on Thursday by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
It said the President must in particular ensure that the
rally slated for Port Harcourt on Saturday is stopped, in view of the spread of
the Ebola virus to the Rivers capital and the fact that 100 people have been
placed under surveillance there following the death of a medical doctor from a
suspected Ebola disease in the city.
''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 on Aug. 8th, 2014, when he was declaring the Ebola Virus Disease in
Nigeria a national emergency, 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.”
It also reminded the President that his administration has
postponed the resumption of private and public primary and secondary schools
across the nation as part of the measures to curtail the spread of the virus,
wondering what message the same government was sending to Nigerians by allowing
TAN rallies to continue.
''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 said.
The party said the TAN rallies in Awka and Ibadan ,
and the forthcoming ones in Port
Harcourt and elsewhere flout the advice by the
President against large gatherings that can encourage the spread of the
disease.
It described as untenable the argument that the rallies are
not being 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,'' APC said
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 are doing
things to flout the Ebola control measures put in place 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,'' it said.
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