Ibrahim Yasir
As coronavirus becomes a global threat, a frontline marketing communication entrepreneur and director of planning and monitoring of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, has urged the federal and state governments to shutdown schools, worship centres and other public places for 40 days.
This, Ekechi said will help avert an impending national catastrophe premised on the covid-19 imminent outbreak.
Addressing journalists at the weekend in Abuja, Ekechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said “, I most humbly wish to advise, very strongly that the federal government to urgently take further bold, courageous but painful steps for an initial period of 40 days.
“As a matter of fact, let us “shutdown” or “postpone” part of Nigeria for forty days to guarantee our future survival than maintaining the present attitude only to grieve ad infinitum.
“The survival measure will be reviewed periodically as the world battles the challenge of the virus. A cursory look at what is happening in China and Italy reveals that thousands of people have died of coronavirus and based on our way of life, the disease has the capacity to wipe out Nigeria in a few months if drastic preemptive measures are not put in place.”
He therefore recommended that government should shutdown all schools – primary to tertiary – including the NYSC and advice state governments to follow suit.
The party leader urged that the measure should include ban on all public gatherings of 50 people and above including Church and Mosque worships, crusades, rallies of all kinds, birthday parties, burials, etc.
“Ban all non-essential government sponsored activities like seminars, workshops, external trips, and commence immediately, trainings and mobilisation of all military and para-military formations across the country for emergency response activation.
“Activate a total review of the 2020 budget with a view to removing or reducing provisions for all non-essential projects and advise state governments to follow suit. Effect stiffer, uncompromising controls at all borders and ports of entry,” he said.
