The United Nations has congratulated Nigeria for becoming the first nation to become Ebola free after an outbreak.
The message was conveyed to Presdient Goodluck Jonathan by Mr. David Navarro, a Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General.
“The Secretary-General asked me to come here too, not because you have an Ebola problem, but because you have tackled it in an exemplary fashion.
“Your personal leadership on the matter has been key. There may still be some work to be done before the virus is completely cleared out from here, but other countries can learn from your fine example,” he said.
In his remarks, President Jonathan said the stigmatization against Nigerians over Ebola was uncalled for since the disease had been effectively curtailed, and never attained epidemic level.
Jonathan also praised Federal and Lagos State health officials for their efforts in ensuring the disease was curbed.
“All hands have been on deck to contain the virus here. I commend my team and the Lagos State Government. We have been able to set politics aside and work in unison to deal with a national threat.
“All other Nigerians have played a part too by complying with the directives and advice we have issued to stop the virus from spreading any further. The success we have had is a testimony to what we can achieve as people if we set aside our differences and work together,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and we will also support other affected African countries as much as we can because we cannot be completely safe from the virus as long as it continues to ravage some countries in our sub-region and continent. We will continue to work with the international community to curb the outbreak in other countries,” Jonathan pledged.