Nigerians live in fear over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the former Director, Planning and Monitoring, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Theodore Ekechi, has asked the federal government to ban church and mosque worships for 40 days.
He also tasked the government not only to shut down schools from primary to tertiary level but also ban burial gathering, rallies and any gathering above 50 persons.
Addressing the media, Sunday, in Abuja, Ekechi noted that, “The global threat now posed by the disease commonly known as coronavirus which WHO has technically labelled COVlD-19 is no longer an idle issue.
“Certainly, coronavirus is the thematic treatise on the lips of every informed man and woman under the sun,” he insisted.
According to him, “The discourse on this earthshaking disease is discussed in multiple times more than the weather in Europe, dissected in dozens more than terrorism in America and, over and over again more than corruption and poverty in Asia and Africa.
“In all the countries and continents mentioned above, a practical, effective and well-coordinated measures have been put in place for the purposes of providing thorough counterpoise in the fight against this mendacious killer disease called coronavirus,” he said.
He said: “China, with her commendable heights as well as advancement in science and technology even with her heroics in medicine, has been struggling strenuously in withstanding the ravaging epidemic of COVlD-19 challenge.”
Continuing, he said: “America the world omni-superpower is almost in a state of unprecedented panic.
“Italy is locked down! If coronavirus can poke China in the face, rattles America to a state of panic, dislocates Iran from her socio-political cohesion, forces Italy to a humiliating and gruesome lockdown in spite of their great feats in modernity, which includes well-organised urbanisation, highly structured dwelling, far ahead-of-us infrastructural assets and responsive public service culture, you can then imagine the huge devastation coronavirus will cause if it is allowed to thrust its notorious tentacles in our Nigeria of today!”
Ekechi, backing his position, said: “Even His Holiness, The Pope retreated to hold the first-ever virtual General Audience.”
In the text of the briefing given to reporters, he noted that in other climes, “High profile events, including the money-spinning professional league matches are being suspended or cancelled worldwide.
“What more do we need to ignite our sense of urgency given our medical and other socio-economic deficiencies?” He asked.
He noted that “After all the reluctance, the WHO has finally declared the scourge a pandemic.”
The text reads in part: “Obviously, if the coronavirus breach surges into Nigeria and this is imminent its impact will be eternally devastating and hellish.
“This is because we have neither the capacity, organized society, adequate infrastructure, standard hospitals nor the committed, special skilled medical personnel for such a humongous challenge.
“Add these deficiencies to the insurgency, banditry and other socio-political cum economic drawbacks including the global oil crash, Nigeria, our dear country may wake up one morning to see a disappearing population.
“As a concerned, patriotic citizen and a statesman who is full of praises for the Federal Government’s commitment and proactive responses to this subject matter so far, I most humbly wish to advise, very strongly that the Federal Government urgently take further bold, courageous but painful steps for an initial period of 40 days so as to avert an impending national catastrophe premised on the coronavirus imminent outbreak to wit shutdown all schools-primary to tertiary including the NYSC and advice state governments to follow suit.
“Ban all public gatherings of 50 people and above including Church and Mosque worships, crusades, rallies of all kinds, birthday parties, Burials, Etc.
“Ban all non-essential government-sponsored activities like seminars, workshops, external trips, etc.
“Commence immediately, training and mobilisation of all military and para-military formations across the country for emergency response activation.
“Activate a total review of the 2020 Budget with a view to removing or reducing provisions for all non-essential projects and advise state governments to follow suit.
“Effect stiffer, uncompromising controls at all borders and ports of entry.
As a matter of fact, let us ”shutdown” or ”postpone” part of Nigeria for 40 days to guarantee our future survival than maintaining the present attitude only to grieve ad infinitum. The survival measure will be reviewed periodically as the world battles the challenge of the virus.
“As it is said, a stitch in time saves nine. A cursory look at what is happening in China and Italy reveals that thousands of people have died of coronavirus and based on our way of life, the disease has the capacity to wipe out Nigeria in a few months if drastic preemptive measures are not put in place. This appeal is not prophetic but logically empirical.”
(Vanguard)
