BEVERLY HILLS, October 21, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lauded the Lagos State Government for the pace – setting role and way it responded to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The party said that Lagos indeed showed leadership in tackling the virus and this led to its successful containment in Nigeria.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said the Babatunde Fashola Administration led and dictated the pace for the successful control of the disease because it had over the years, established a pro-active health sector that naturally rose to the challenge posed by the ravaging virus.
It said that Lagos continues to show the limitless possibilities Nigeria possess if it has the right leadership.
“We note that Nigeria is gloating over the successful containment of Ebola virus. We note that some people and groups are positioning themselves for the accolades for this feat. But what is not in doubt is that the Lagos State government, through its health ministry and health staff, set the pace for the control of the virus as they led the way in dictating the best possible way to ensuring that the spread of the disease is put under control.
“We note that many staff of the Lagos State health ministry sacrificed themselves to ensure that the disease did not spread farther than it did.
“We note that before any other person or sector could react, Lagos has mapped out strategies for the control of Ebola, set out facilities for the treatment and quarantine of Ebola victims and deployed the staff of its health and allied ministries to battle the novel disease and its fallouts. We note that these were just possible because over the years, the proactive government in Lagos has established a viable and responsive health sector and format that has risen to the health needs of 21 million Lagosians today.
“In the glee of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of Nigeria as Ebola-free, it is proper that we salute the very dedicated pace setting role the Fashola/APC government played in achieving this feat. It is right to say that had the dreaded disease berthed elsewhere, Nigeria would have been grappling with an unmitigated disaster in its hands today.
“Lagos APC salutes the Lagos State government for its positive roles in rescuing the decadent Nigerian state from perdition. We note that what passes off Nigerian economy today is driven by the huge economy of Lagos which is the fifth largest in Africa. We note that Lagos caters for over 60 per cent of Nigerian unemployed graduates who flock the state daily for succour. We note that Lagos remains the life wire of the country and all these were because of the purposeful governments that have ruled Lagos since 1999. These have raised Lagos from a run down slum to a beautiful and functional megacity, one of the few in the world.
“While we acknowledge the ancillary roles of several other sectors, including the Federal Government in the battle for containment of Ebola, we insist that Lagos set the pace and led the battle for the defeat of Ebola. We salute the Lagos State government for its purposeful leadership on this and other sectors of governance. We urge Nigerians to appreciate the good works of the Fashola regime on this deadly scourge as we all collectively celebrate the declaration of Nigeria as an Ebola-free country,” the statement said.
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