Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday lavishly praised the Government and People of Cuba for deploying 460 medical doctors and volunteers to Ebola-ravaged countries in West Africa.
Speaking during a solidarity visit to the Embassy of Cuba in Abuja, Falana said that only Cuba has shown leadership in the fight against the dreaded virus by training and sending 460 medical professionals to the countries that have been battling with the scourge. He stressed that Nigeria, which was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization, cannot celebrate while other West Africa countries continue to struggle, adding that injury to one is injury to all.
Speaking on behalf of the NLC, the Vice President of the Congress, Isa Aremu, observed that the victory recorded in Nigeria in the fight against Ebola was not only for the country but for all of Africa, and praised Cuba for showing that it is a friend of Nigeria and the entire continent.
He said that Nigeria would also appreciate the support of Cuban Government in the fight against polio, measles and malaria, and called on the United States to lift the embargo placed on Cuba and strengthen diplomatic ties with the country.
Mr. Falana called for global collaboration to find a lasting solution to Ebola, which has killed hundreds of thousands across the world. [slideshow]35700[/slideshow]
“The Cuban Government has doctors in over 150 countries,” he said. “During Hurricane Katrina in the United States of America, Cuba sent doctors to America but was rejected by President George Bush.”
He thanked the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Hugo Rene Ramos Nilante, for his country’s timely intervention in the global fight against the Ebola virus, adding that if other countries could emulate the gesture of his government through humanitarian services, the deaths recorded would have been minimal.
Responding, Ambassador Nilante reiterated the commitment of the Cuba Government to support to any country in the world ravaged by humanitarian crisis. He promised that his country would continue to collaborate with other countries in the world to mobilize both human and material resources to assist African countries in need.