By Haruna Salami
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has appealed for calm over the protests in Sapele, Delta State against the state government’s two-week extension of the lockdown.
Omo-Agege who condemned, in strong terms, the alleged shooting of one of the protesters by security agents called for the arrest and prosecution of the culprit (s), adding that “this will serve as deterrent to other trigger-happy security men”.
A statement signed by Yomi Odunuga, Omo-Agege’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity noted that “the lockdown has caused untold hardship on the people” but pointed out that “the long-term benefits of the stay-at-home order is to protect the citizens from contracting the deadly Coronavirus (Covid-19).
“No doubt, the lockdown has caused difficulties and inconveniences for many citizens but in these trying times, it takes courage for our elected leaders to adopt global best practices by extending the lockdown so as to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus disease and save lives.
“As President Buhari and governors, including Governor Okowa of Delta State have said, our common objective is to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and to provide space, time and resources for an aggressive and collective action while ongoing comprehensive public health measures including case identification, testing, isolation and contact tracing capabilities are intensified.
“Too many lives are being lost and far too many families are going through deep grief caused by Covid-19; while the Delta State government weighs possibilities of making things better, we should all strive to appreciate the deep seriousness of the issue.
“Nonetheless, warnings about social distancing, hand-washing and other preventive measures given by relevant state and federal authorities deserve our adherence.
Omo-Agege added that in “these are trying times, palliatives and sacrificial giving from government, the private sector and individuals can make things easier. Importantly, we all need to support efforts being made by the federal and state authorities including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) towards curbing Corvid-19 and saving our people’s lives,”.
