Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Centre for Change, has called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to engage more in publicity and sensitisation of members of public as number of COVID-19 cases crossed 50,000 threshold.
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Okei-Odumakin made the call in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.
The centre president warned about the reality of COVID-19, urging all to adhere strictly to the precautionary health measures.
She said that a lot of publicity and sensitisation work still need to be done by the NCDC.
Okei-Odumakin, while decrying the spike in the number of those infected, said neither the Federal nor State Governments was contemplating any drastic measure of another lockdown.
She noted that the spike in the number of Nigerians infected by the COVID-19 virus continued unabated.
“The economic cost of lockdown and the security risk of reining in citizens opposed to it may have tied the government’s hands.
“Besides, the failure of previous lockdowns due to a combination of compromise by security agencies and citizens bent on circumventing the measure may have proven too steep a mountain for the government to climb.
“Enforcing compliance with the COVID-19 protocols have been no less challenging, in spite of sanctions put in place by the government,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin expressed concern at the reckless abandonment at which citizens were flouting the precautionary measures put in place.
She said that the sorry sight of teeming commuters struggling to catch the few public transport vehicles available was worrisome.
“Wearing of face masks and the observance of physical distancing are flouted with reckless abandonment.
“The reckless behaviour of the crowd of mourners at the burial of VIPs, the audacity of political leaders who organised rancorous rallies of party faithful, are some of the evidences that caution has been thrown to the dogs.
“It would then seem that it is now everyone to himself and God for us all,” she said.
The group president also expressed worry over the pessimism of those who never believed that there was COVID-19 and the faith of those who believed that God would protect them anyhow.
According to her, the confidence of those who believed in many of the self-medication peddled freely on social media, are some of the ways Nigerians are fast settling down to the “new normal”.
“It is safe to say that life appears to have returned to normal, the usual hussle and bustle is back everywhere.
“Religious activities have cautiously resumed, while terminal class students are being allowed to write their examinations. Some states are even reopening schools in phases.
“Workers in many states have returned to work and local flights have resumed. International flights may soon follow.
“We appear to have left the worst phase of the pandemic behind us even, as the spike in the figures of the infected continues to rise.
“Now and again, the populace is also jolted by the news of this or that VIP succumbing to the virus.
“Cases of governors, ministers and such other VIPs contracting the virus and going into isolation have become commonplace,” she said.
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