The successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by the Nigerian Government has been hailed as one of the ways the nation can fight some of its numerous challenges especially the Boko Haram insurgency, if it can put aside politics and face the challenges head-on.

Nigerians for Change, a non-partisan organisation which made the assertion, said that despite the country’s supposedly bad health system, Nigeria through the collaborative efforts of the FG, Rivers and the Lagos state governments was able to contain the spread of the virus.

Addressing a press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, South-West, Nigeria, yesterday, Barr. Kingsley Omose, National Coordinator, Nigerians for Change, frowned at the manner in which political parties politicise to whom the credit should go for the feat. The implication of the feat, he said, is that “when we are united there is no limit to what we can achieve.”

According to Omose, “Ebola does not know political party. Irrespective of who takes the credit, it does not change the price of garri in the market. The way the FG, Rivers and Lagos state governments collaborated to contain the scourge, the same spirit should be employed to our national lives so that Nigerian people will be better for it.”

Speaking further Barr. Omose said: “We rarely find learning curves in this country where we achieve common goals apart from football which in some cases is momentary. That is why we feel the same spirit employed in handling the Ebola virus should be employed in our national lives, devoid of politics.

“We at Nigerians for Change believe that as we grow in our democratic dispensation we need to grow along party lines. Imagine if we put politics aside and collectively handle issues that affect our national lives, applaud the government where necessary and criticise where possible, some of the challenges confronting us will long be forgotten.”

On his part, Jide Johnson, a senior lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and member of Nigerians for Change, noted: “We recognise the fact that in this political season, politicians are likely to be tempted to make political capital out of every issue. But, the Ebola success story is too important to be trivialised.”

•Photo shows Barr. Kingsley Omose, National Coordinator, Nigerians for Change (second from left) and other coordinators . . . yesterday in Lagos.

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