Mr Segun Ogunyannwo, Registrar, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), has called on the Federal Government to impose 21 days nationwide lockdown to ensure proper tracking and treatment of persons with COVID-19.
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Ogunyannwo, also the Chief Executive Officer of ICMC, made the call on Thursday in Abuja while presenting face masks to the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), FCT Council.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the 14-day lockdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun adding that this was not enough to fight the dreaded coronavirus.
According to him, the best thing to do is to have a nationwide lockdown for 21 days.
”This will enable us to tract those who have been infected and provide them with the attention that they need.
”If they will infect others within the period, it will be limited to their immediate family members.
”If we allow the virus to spread in the other 34 states, by the end of the 14-days lockdown period in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT, the situation will be worse than when we started.
”This is the truth Mr President, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
“It is known that the gestation period of COVID-19 is 14 days. It is possible that a family member can be infected within the first two or three days of the lockdown.
”With the cycle of 14 days completing in two or three days afterwards, if we adopt 14 days only, we may be going back to square one. It is safer to have 21-days nationwide lockdown,” he said.
Ogunyannwo also called on the Federal Government to provide sustenance for the jobless and daily paid workers across the country within the Nationwide lockdown period.
He urged the Federal Government to activate the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to respond to this immediately to avoid another type of calamity.
Ogunyannwo said that SEMAs could liaise with Local Governments to deliver on the welfare package to this category of people.
He said that the role of well-meaning individuals and organisations would also be needed to augment what the government would be doing.
Responding on behalf of the NUJ FCT council, the Secretary of council, Comrade Ochiaka Ugwu, pledged its members commitment to curb the COVID-19 through proper reporting.