The Executive Director Socio Economic Research and Development Centre, SERDEC Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem has urged the Kogi State Government to join the global efforts toward curbing the spread of COVID-19 by setting up a State Health Security Response Team.
In his press statement in Lokoja Kogi State, He noted that globally the COVID-19 has been declared by World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic wreaking socio-economic activities, disrupting financial market, collapsing crude oil price, forcing global economies into recession with several deaths and thousand quarantined. With growing cases in Nigeria, the Federal Government have moved toward shutting down of schools, cancellation of worship services, restriction of movement/travels, encouraged self isolation and promoted social distancing.
He explained that in preparing to tackle the virus within the state, the government needs to have a coordinated action plan, precautionary measures designed by a State Health Security Response Team that will monitor & track suspicious cases from within communities, provide the right information, set up strategic communication/campaign to educate kogities on public hygiene, discourage social gathering/events, suspends oversea travels by state officials and join national and global efforts toward tackling the virus.
SERDEC expresses solidarity with the global community and Health workers risking their health to save lives and call on citizens, religious & traditional leaders, Community based Organization to spread the message on personal hygiene, this is not a period of panic but to act together to provide the right information, report suspicious cases, embrace social distancing and maintain hygiene behavior as precautionary measures toward combating the spread of the virus.
