A renowned activist and public commentator, Comrade Razaq Olokoba, has described as right step in the right direction, the prompt measures put in place by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to prevent the second wave of the killer monster called Coronavirus.
Olokoba, who is also the National President of the Campaign for Dignity in Governance, CDG, in a media chat in Lagos on Saturday said that Sanwo-Olu’s prompt reaction to the impending calamity of the second wave of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic is a clear indication that he is a sensitive administrator, who is always at alert to his responsibilities.
The youth leader told newsmen that the governor deserves kudos for his ‘a stich in time saves nine’ attitude that would go a long way to nip in the bud what could result into community transmission of COVID-19 that could eventually snowball into major crisis, pointing out that “minority plus minority would eventually become a majority.”
Insisting that now that Sanwo-Olu has taken the right step in the right direction towards the good of his people, Olokoba said that it therefore behoves on the general public to reciprocate such a good gesture by abiding by all the preventive measures rolled out for the good of all.
He siad that the governor has observed well that the lackadaisical attitudes of majority of the populace towards the preventive protocols put in place by the authority was capable of causing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He therefore admonished that “we should all, for the sake of the general survival, observe the measures to the letter.”
Maintaining that complacency can, no doubt, be very dangerous and deadly, just as it would cause economic downturn, the activist reminded the propel of the hardship the citizenry went through during the first lockdown, wondering whether the country can afford another round of lockdown in quick succession, especially, when the wounds inflicted on the people by the first series of lockdown were yet to heal!
Against this backdrop, Olokoba therefore admonished the people to take the governor’s concerns over them very seriously, insisting that, if the advanced countries with their medical know how are scared of the monster and are locking down, Nigerians with their level of expertise on medical field could not afford to treat Sanwo-Olu’s concerns with levity.
The CDG leader is of the view that Sanwo-Olu should be saved of another rigorous hassle over the disease, when simple observance of the preventive measures could do the tricks, saying that the man should be praised for his recent efforts against COVID-19 that earned him national and international accolades, while the efforts should be appreciated by simple adherence strictly to his latest caution.
He insisted that it would be a great error on the part of the people to believe that coronavirus has been tamed in Nigeria because of past efforts of the authorities to combat it, warning that the worrisome aspect of the pandemic is that, it has been medically proved that its second wave is always deadlier.
He therefor enjoined the people to observe the simple rules of social distancing, washing of hands, use of sanitizers, avoiding crowded places, using of mask and keeping personal hygienic rules, reminding that, prevention is cheaper and better than cure just as a stich in time saves nine.
Recall that the Lagos State government has sadly noticed that there is an unfortunate public perception that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic has been seen and that the worst was over, describing the impression as absolutely wrong and dangerous.
The government said it was getting credible reports that the entertainment industry was planning large gatherings, concerts, street parties and carnivals, in the spirit of the Yuletide and Night Clubs have also re-opened in reckless disregard of the existing guidelines, and Events Centers are operating with huge gatherings, without any regard for public health and safety guidelines.
Places of worship across the state were allegedly not left out in both their regular gatherings and the special gatherings organized to commemorate this season.
The government lamented that “this overwhelming non-compliance with guidelines meant to keep us all safe is very disheartening, especially when we consider that the message at the heart of Christmas is one of sacrifice and sacrificial conduct.”
Admonishing the populace to, in the spirit of the season emulate that spirit of sacrifice, by abiding with difficult but necessary protective guidelines, for the greater good of all of us, the government asserted that “this is certainly not the time to lower our guard against the Coronavirus; it is instead time to step up our battle against this stubborn virus that has gripped the world for several months now.”
It was against this background, according to Olokoba, that the governor spelt out necessary precaution towards keeping the state very safe and healthy for the Yuletide and beyond, echoing the governor’s assertion that, “this second wave calls for a full re-awakening of caution and precaution, without the complacency that crept in over the last few months.”
Thanking God for improvement in Sanwo-Olu’s health, Olokoba prayed for his quickest recovery to enable him join his able team of performers to go about the job of serving his people, which he said did not suffer in his absence, because of the structure he put in place for smooth running of the state’s affairs.
