Prince Anthony Olatujoye counsels Nigerians on coronavirus
Barrister Prince Anthony Olatujoye has charged Nigerians not to treat the novel coronavirus disease with kids glove so that we don’t suffer a full blown pandemic in the country. The legal luminary noted that the people In the grassroots should abide religiously with government instructions on social distancing, noting that to stay at home and avoid large crowd is easier to enforce in the hinterland. He noted however that if the people in the local communities are not given adequate orientation about the dangers of coronavirus , flouting the instructions will be done with reckless abandon in the villages. ” The virus is all over the world and it has continued to cause mortality around the globe. We must pay attention to all the laid down rules government has given so that we all can stay safe and prevent the community transmission of the virus. The people at the grassroots are better advised to keep social distance and to avoid social gathering of any kind.”
The Erinje born prince further advised that the best way to beat the virus is to live a hygienic life style. “People should ensure they wash their hands regularly
with soap and water before they go out and when they come in from outside. The use of hand sanitizer is very important now and everyone should endeavour to own a sanitizer. The coronavirus scourge is a serious issue that must be handled with all seriousness,” Olatujoye said.
He maintained that if we can keep to the rules and regulations of the Presidential Task Force on Covid 19, the spread of the novel virus will be limited.
On the chances of lifting the imposed lockdown by government, the former Director of Legal services , Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said looking at the pronouncements of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman Presidential Task Force on Covid 19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, it is dicey to say there is going to be a total suspension of the lockdown. ” It may be too close to call to say government should completely lift the lockdown more esepecially when the number of those contracting the virus is increasing daily.
” But that doesn’t mean we don’t know people are suffering particularly in Lagos,” Olatujoye noted.
He said armed youths and criminals are already taking advantage of the lockdown in Lagos to cause mayhem and constitute nuisance from one part of the Lagos metropolis to another. “Take for instance , this group that call themselves 1 million boys; they have been going around terrorizing people from one house to the other in Lagos. Government asked everyone to stay indoor so they simply take advantage of that. Agreed people are not finding the situation easy but until the curve of spread of coronavirus has flattened, it may not be safe to announce a total lifting of the lockdown .”
Barrister Olatujoye stressed that everybody is feeling the heat and inconveniences of the lockdown both in the urban areas and the local communities. He said even the so called rich people are so affected because no one is allowed to go out to effect any kind of business transaction. He added that while those in the white collar job sector of the economy can still work from home taking advantage of the internet to function on their personal computer, those who are farmers, artisans and people who feed from their daily hustles do not have such advantage.
He therefore appealed to the Federal and state government across the country to put in more effort towards ensuring that the palliatives shared actually get to the vulnerable members of the larger society. He said only an equitable distribution of government palliatives can help cushion the hardship of the lockdown among the poor masses of Nigeria.
Asked about his personal philantropic efforts at this period of covid 19, the amiable Erinje prince said people have been reaching him for assistance and he has been able to provide assist within his means. ” My own is people have been sending their details to me ; in each case people will call me or send text messages and I will respond.
- ” Some do not have something to eat and when they call like that , I will send money to them. I make my offer of assistance to people through my church . The little one I can do, I have been doing, but I don’t have to announce my offering of alms to the less privileged at this trying time by packaging rice or whatever and calling media attention to it…noo, there is a better way of doing it; if I find someone who is in a genuine need, I send money to them,” Olatujoye stressed.
Prodded further about how far he has provided succor to the people of his country home during this covid 19 period, Barrister Olatujoye said, ” if there is an opportunity for me to give to my community, why not? Some people have been calling from my local government area (Okitipupa Local Government) and I have been responding. It is not everyone there who knows me; I have been responding at least to those who know me.”
He said in the past few weeks he has responded to calls for dire need for help and financial assistance from a good number of people from his local government .
Barrister Olatujoye said while government is making all humanly possible efforts to flatten the curve of the covid 19 spread in Nigeria, all of us should adhere to the social distancing order and to always remember to wear the face mask.
