COVID-19: BMO commends Buhari for pro-activeness

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s proactive response to combating Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The group also lauded Buhari for taking positive care of suspected patients in Nigeria and the measures taken to prevent the spread.

The group said this in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Maduekwe, on Tuesday in Abuja.

It noted that testimonies from various travellers into Nigeria through the nation’s airports commending Nigeria for its adequate precautionary measures have confirmed the government’s commitment and efforts to prevent the spread of the disease in the country.

“These testimonials are from widely travelled individuals from various parts of the world who have travelled through airports in the United Kingdom and the U.S. before coming to Nigeria.

“They also affirmed that what they saw at Nigeria’s airports in respect of the coronavirus screening is stricter than what they experienced in other airports in the world,” they said.

BMO also commended government in its efforts to sensitise the Nigerian public about COVID-19.

The statement re-assured Nigerians that the Buhari administration, through the Federal Ministry of Health, has been strengthening measures to ensure an outbreak in Nigeria is controlled and contained quickly.

It added that the multi-sectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has immediately activated its national Emergency Operations Centre and is working closely with Lagos State Health authorities for early response and implement firm control measures.

The statement noted that all information agencies of government are virtually abuzz with enlightenment materials; press statements, press conferences, jingles in English and local languages on radio and television.

Besid3s, BMO commended all government agencies involved in this endeavour – the federal and state ministries of health, state governments, government information agencies and all stakeholders, urging them not to rest on their oars.

Akinsiju noted that tt is gratifying that no new case has been discovered in the country and those quarantined have all proved negative.

NAN recalls that the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Lagos by the Federal Ministry of Health on Feb. 27, 2020, since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020.

An Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy, to Lagos, imported the virus on Feb. 25.

His case was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, said government has already started working to identify all the contacts of the patient since he entered Nigeria.

He said government would continue to beef up security as the level of preparedness continues to improve in Nigeria every day.

NAN also reports that global reports indicated that the number of people worldwide who have been infected with the coronavirus is over 900,000, while more than 3,000 people have died since the outbreak in December.

Of the vast majority of cases, more than 80,000 have occurred in China, but around 60 other countries are now also dealing with outbreaks.

Many nations are preparing for a global pandemic, as reports of cases caused by community spread rather than importation from China rise.

Report says South Korea, Italy and Iran are fighting the largest outbreaks outside of China.

Nigeria is the third African country after Egypt and Algeria to record the outbreak.