COVID-19: Pan Yoruba group wants full compliance, commends Lagos
By Bisi Alade
Yoruba people in the six South West states have been urged to obey the World Health Organisation, (WHO) rules to stem the spread of coronavirus in the region. The South West is host to about 50 million people and remains Nigeria’s industrial hub.
The Coalition of O’odua Self Determination Groups, (COSEG) in a statement at the weekend asked the residents to adhere strictly to Government directives on CONVID-19 prevention to put an end to its potential spread.
Convener, Rasaq Olokooba, the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Group (COSEG) said the South West remains a high risk zone given the high population density and the boistering industrial activities in the region. COSEG said the SouthWest remains the preferred destination of people from Asia and Europe raising the risk factors of CORONAVIRUS infection.
The group also on Friday launched a massive public enlightenment campaign using the social media and radio to ensure full compliance with the World Health Organisation, WHO rules in CONVID-19 prevention echoed by the South West State Goverments
The group said it uses this opportunity to commend state governments in the South West Nigeria for the effort so far in trying to control and contain the Coronavirus outbreak.
COSEG said the government of Lagos State under the leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu deserves particular mention for its proactive public health emergency measures and and attempts to domesticate the global measures against the virus as exemplified in the scaleable pronouncement on avoidance of crowding and ensuring social distancing.
We call on people in Yorubaland irrespective of nationality, religion, ideology or creed to own and adhere strictly to the measures announced by governments at all levels in their own interest and in the larger interest of their community.
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) document on self-isolation is a document we all must study, keep handy and make use of as the need arises, even as COSEG make bold to say that Nigeria has not been proactive enough nationally and little is being done at the level of domestication of the global measures, predictive statistics and release of information to the public.
We have the genuine fear that a lot more need to be done by the Federal Government in addressing the peculiar challenges of COVID-19 in our clime, bearing in mind that:
a. The kind of infrastructural facilities that enable coordinated and programmed response and compliance in China and advanced countries are lacking;
b. There is high rate of unemployment, abysmal poverty level and poor hygiene among the Nigerian;
c. The lack of faith in government and heightened sense of insecurity among the people;
At this time, it is imperative that the President, General Mohamodu Buhari address Nigerians on the COVID 19 outbreak, giving the kind of hope every country’s leadership has given its people in this situation. Just as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assumed the role of Chief Incident Commander in Lagos State, we expect that President Mohamodu Buhari should assume the role of Chief Incident Commander for Nigeria on the COVID-19 outbreak.
At no other time since the end of the Second World War in 1945 has there been such threat to humanity and such collective attention and response elicited on a global scale as we have in this COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerians are a critical part of that endangered humanity both in terms of population and in terms of leadership role in Africa. But this is not being reflected in the level of governmental response or even grasp of the situation. We say all of this bearing in mind that the World Health Organization (WHO) has already pronounced that this outbreak is going to be worse in Africa than any other continent. A stitch in time, they say, save nine.