None of the governments in Nigeria will use Ebola as a political wedge issue, according to Dr. Jide Idris, the NCDC’s director general.
This comment was made by Jide Idris on Monday in response to viral rumours during an interview with Channels TV Politics Today.
He thinks people should ignore rumours that the government will try to use Ebola to stir up anxiety in the run-up to 2027.
The head of the NCDC emphasised that the government’s priority is the safety of Nigerians and opposed the politicisation of sickness.
To protect themselves from Ebola and other infections, he advised Nigerians to ignore false news and adhere to NCDC recommendations. “No government will use Ebola as a political weapon,” he declared.
You may remember that earlier this month, the NCDC confirmed the presence of one imported case from Uganda and put 53 Abuja-based contacts under surveillance.
The index patient was evacuated to Switzerland, and since then, there has been no new incidence of Ebola in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a statement issued on Monday by his verified X handle, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, communicated this information. He said that Switzerland would be in charge of the patient and her husband’s care, while Nigeria would keep an eye on 52 contacts.