Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), an Abuja based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has urged Nigerians to show more commitment in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Ms May Ikokwu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NGO made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as part of her new year message in Abuja on Saturday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has so far recorded 88,587 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country with 74,373 recovery, while 1,294 had died of complications from the virus.
Ikokwu, also Secretary General, Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), said that only compliant to safety protocols by Nigerians would curb further spread of the pandemic in 2021.
She decried the reckless attitude of some Nigerians to the NCDC safety protocols on the use of face masks, physical distancing, regular hand washing among others.
“Even if we had made the mistake of not complying with the safety protocols as prescribed by NCDC in 2020, let us ensure that we comply strictly to it in 2021.
“That we failed to comply in 2020 and luckily did not get infected with the pandemic does not imply the non existence of the pandemic but a sheer luck.
“Please let us all be responsive in fighting this pandemic to avoid a realisation of some unpleasant predictions about Africa by some foreign news agencies,” she said.
Ikokwu who reiterated calls for community responsiveness, commended the Federal Government for rising to the occasion through the Ministry of Health and NCDC.
She said that pandemics of such strain and magnitude could only be contained with collective efforts of all stakeholders irrespective of their ideological differences.
The SOHI boss expressed optimism in the ability of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to make Universal Health Coverage (UHC) accessible to all Nigerians.
According to her, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) can be accessible to all when everyone is ready to work in collaboration with government.
Ikokwu also advised Nigerians to shun behaviors that would undermine the health and wellbeing of the citizens especially older people.
She, however, expressed hope that 2021 would be a better year than 2020 with the collective efforts and support of Nigerians to government’s policies and programmes. (NAN)
