Dino Melaye, former senator representing Kogi West Senatorial election, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to lock down the nation’s capital, Abuja and the nation’s commercial state, Lagos, via an Executive Order following the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
He also has urged Nigerians, individuals and corporate entities alike, to support government’s efforts toward combating the spread of Coronavirus.
Melaye, in a statement he issued on Tuesday in Abuja, said that it was now clear that Coronavirus pandemic was a threat against humanity, hence the need for drastic measures by all to rise to the occasion.
He said: “The government alone cannot do everything, it’s the responsibility of all. All hands must be on deck to combat the coronavirus.
“I call on rich and well-to-do Nigerians, multinationals, oil companies, and corporate Nigeria to financially support the government to curb this menace.
“This is a test of their corporate social responsibility to Nigeria. I will take the lead in this regard from the level of my native state, Kogi.
“Nigerians shouldn’t see the fight against coronavirus as a ‘government thing’. It is not about the government, and it is about humanity.
“Public health affects national development, and it should not be politicised.”
Melaye added: “Further measures and actions are taken so far by the Federal Government to fight Coronavirus, I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, lock down the nation’s capital, Abuja and the nation’s commercial nerve, Lagos, via an Executive Order.
“This is essential in the situation to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
“There’s no doubt that preventive measures are cheaper than treatment of any ailment, not to talk of a global pandemic.”
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria presently stands at 44.
While two patients have been discharged, Nigeria recorded one death on Monday, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
