…as Nasarrawa youths enforce removal of face masks
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigerians begin to enjoy the 4th and 5th ease of lockdown , Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari has attributed the soaring cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the country to the increasing careless attitude of citizens.
Abari said this at a recent press conference held in Abuja at the agency’s observation report 9n the 4th and 5th sensitization interventions against the COVID-19 disease in the country.
The NOA stated that in Nasarrawa State, youths go about forcing people to remove their face masks, because according to them the virus is not real.
He said, ” Even as the ease of lockdown continued, we noted the rapid spread of the disease to our communities because of the careless attitude of many Nigerians and inability to observe the safety protocol established by
both the government and health sector experts.
He noted that the implications is that most Nigerians have let off guard on COVID-19
According to Abari, based on these observation by the agency has kick-started which includes five sensitization interventions since the pandemic entered the community transmission éra.
He said,” NOA has started sensitization interventions in 19 states in the first phase and the 2nd interventions in the remaining 18 states.
The campaign is to bring awareness of the disease to the people. Late June we took sensitization to Bauchi, Edo, FCT, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Lagos and Ogun States, adding that the message is to propagate healthy measures.
Abari disclosed that the agency is working on a 4 plan interventions across the country, adding that the
latest activity of the Agency at the community level is the 774 LG sensitization.
” This is the most widespread part of the campaign which targets schools, markets, and places of worship. Though markets and places of worship have been partially opened, we continue to emphasis the
precautionary measures including the need to put in place hand sanitizers.”
we believed that providing enough information about the disease, methodology of spread and how to stop the spread will help communities so affected to take the required precaution and thereby cut down on the rate of infections
in these communities. Communicating the right messages is key to- reducing infection in our communities.
The fourth intervention was devoted to advocacy sensitization to community influencers including Traditional rulers and Religious Leaders and is still on going.
We have fully covered 26 states while reports of the remaining 10 states are on the way. The ideas behind this approach is to bring home the message through those who are influential in communities.
He who urged on religious leaders to ensure strict compliance to safety guidelines , as he said, ” we want our religious leaders to sanction those who do not observe safety practices in their domain.
Meanwhile, the NOA boss lamented that in Edo and Ondo States prepare for their upcoming election there is high rate of non compliance particularly in social distancing
He said, ” In Edo and Ondo where political activities are in their peak, we see a breach of guidelines as we keep watching the events.”
