School resumption date: Pres GEJ pleads with NUT, says fed.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