The World Expects We Crash, Let’s Prove Them Wrong – SGF

Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha, has charged Nigerians to prove the world wrong on fighting the deadly coronnavirus pandemic. 

At a briefing on Friday,the SGF, who also heads the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said the world sees Nigeria as one of the countries that won’t survive the pandemic but the country will overcome.

Commenting on the clash in Warri involving some youths and soldiers over the killing of Joseph Pessu, a Warri resident, by a soldier in Delta state, Mustapha urged Nigerians to cooperate with law enforcement agencies so as not to incapacitate them from being efficient and effective in their implementation of the two-week lock-down directed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated: “We need to arise and work as a people to ensure that we have something going for us as a nation. 

“Let’s prove the world wrong on this, because the expectation is that we would crash under this. Major networks of the world are carrying such news items that Nigeria is definitely going to crash under this. But I know the Nigerian spirit that we will overcome this.

“We have to understand the psychology of what is happening. Somebody will go on the Internet and pick up what happened in 2012 and post as what is just happening in Warri, or it is just happening in Lagos… we have to be very careful here, so that we do not tie the hands of our law enforcement agents and incapacitate them from being efficient and effective in their implementation of this lock-down. 

“Yesterday, I was watching CNN; a woman in Chile ran out of isolation centre. The police ran after her and grabbed her and pulled her back into the isolation centre. In a lot of countries, like Russia and the rest, you can’t talk about the punitive processes that have been put in place. 

“You decide to disregard the regulations that has been put in place, there’s a place that has been prepared for you in jail for a certain number of years. I have emphasised the fact that what we are trying to do is to have Nigerians on this process. It is for our good to protect ourselves and to protect our loved ones. And we must put this narrative out there so that we take narrative of the process.”

Meanwhile at the press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the federal government said a medical team from China will arrive the country to support the government in the fight against COVID-19.

According to Health Minister, Osagie Enahire, a group of Chinese companies working in Nigeria have donated medical supplies to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.

He said the items include commodities such as personal protective equipment and ventilators.

The minister said: “I have been notified of medical supplies from China, courtesy of a group of Chinese companies working here in Nigeria. A special cargo aircraft shall leave Nigeria in a few days to collect the items which include commodities, personal protective equipment and ventilators.

“An 18-man team of Chinese medical experts including doctors, nurses and other medical advisers shall come along with the flight to assist us. I must at this juncture commend our frontline workers who are doing a great job in case identification and management.

“As we prepare to contain COVID-19, we must not lose sight of other health challenges in our country. Routine health service must continue in our hospitals. Only a wing of tertiary health centres should be used for infected patients.”

As at 10:30 pm 3rd April there are 210 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria, with four deaths while 25 persons have been discharged after recovering.