Use your community engagement strategy to mitigate COVID-19 – FG urges Rotary

Fri, Jul 17, 2020
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Coronavirus Pandemic

THE Federal Government on Friday appealed to the Rotary Club to leverage on its community engagement strategy to help in mitigating Coronavirus (COVID)19’s community spread in Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the appeal in Abuja when the newly-elected Governor of Rotary International’s District 9125, Mrs Jumoke Bamigboye, paid him a courtesy visit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports District 9125 comprises 23 of the country’s 36 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

Specifically, the minister urged the international peace and humanitarian service organisation to help in setting up sample collection centres across the country to increase the number of tests.

He noted that test, is a crucial step in the “TRACE, TEST, ISOLATE AND TREAT” strategy and so far, the country has increased the number of laboratories for Covid-19 tests from just two to 40.

“I make this appeal because of Rotary’s great role in the recent eradication of polio in Nigeria.

“Working through Rotary Nigeria’s PolioPlus Committee, this respected organisation helped vaccinators to reach the remote areas of the country to ensure that every child received the polio vaccine.

“The result is what we have today, a polio-free Nigeria.

“I have no doubt that Rotary can play a similar role in our efforts to combat Covid-19 in Nigeria and rid the country of the virus,” he said.

Mohammed, however, stressed that he made the appeal without prejudice to whatever Rotary might have done so far to support the current efforts against Covid-19 in Nigeria.

The minister disclosed that, at the moment,  the Covid-19 pandemic has affected almost 14 million globally and caused over 592,000 deaths.

He said, in Nigeria, the total number of cases  is 34,854 cases with 769 deaths stressing that the Government, through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, has continued to battle the pandemic.

The minister congratulated Bamigboye on his election to the high office and wishes her
eventful tenure.

Earlier, the newly elected Rotary Governor commended the minister and other members of the Presidential  Task Force on Covid-19, for the good work they are doing to in containing the pandemic.

She solicited collaboration with the parastatal agencies under the Minister’s supervision including NTA and National Orientation Agency on sensitisation programmes on their humanitarian programmes.

Bamigboye the wife to Col. Theophilus, who  served as Military Administrator of Bauchi and Osun States before the return to democracy in May 1999, said she is the first elected female governor of the rotary district.

She said Rotary members across the globe would be in Kwara for her investiture on Sept 12 and urged the Minister to grace the event.

Other Rotary officials on her entourage included Ayo Oyedokun, Elvis Obaseki Mbanefo Nnoka and Alhaji Yusuf Alli. (NAN)

– Jul. 17, 2020 @ 14:12 GMT |

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