GEJ Plead With NUT Says Govt Isn't Foolish

Speaking with journalists today September 16th in Abuja, President Jonathan appealed to members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT to return to the classrooms on Sept. 22 as there is no known case of Ebola in the country at the moment. Below is what he said...

       "We have been able to manage Ebola
       and the whole world is happy with us
       and we must 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 their festival and the
       news came to me to cancel it 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. I
       dare ask is NUT ‎saying that until the
       world is able to end Ebola is Guinea,
       Liberia and Sierra Leone before
       Nigeria should open our institutions?
       It is not right. Government is not a
       fool, it is not any labour body that
       asked us to take that decision, we
       took it because we felt that we must.
       protect our citizens.  

       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, the governors 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. I will
       plead with NUT and other unions that
       this does not require industrial action.
       They should commend government,
       they should work with us, they are
       Nigerians, all Nigerians must work
       together to make sure that we contain
       Ebola. Why do we want to create
       problems where it is not necessary, it
       is uncalled for.” He said