By Valentine Amanze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Nigerian government to move beyond rudimentary interventions and adopt more stringent measures to further safeguard the nation from the Covid19 pandemic.
While noting the steps so far taken by the federal government, the main opposition party (PDP) however lamented
that the current approach fell short of the required pre-emptive measures, thereby leaving gaps that exposed the nation to avoidable
risks.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP pointed out that Nigeria was a strategic international hub.
According to it, being an international hub, the Federal Government should adopt stringent pre-emptive measures by radically stepping up its international ports and border screening as well as quickly improving the nation’s internal surveillance and hygiene monitoring system.
“Our party holds that the Federal Government should also go beyond its
proposed secondary screening of travellers from certain countries and extend the measure to all international flights coming into the country, given the prevalence of connecting flights and land border crossing by
international air travellers.
“Also, the Federal Government should ensure that domestic airlines undertake proper screening of passengers as well as fumigation of their aircraft to guarantee the safety of air travellers within Nigeria,” the party stated.
It however urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps to create more screening centres and lead in providing more screening equipment in all the airports, seaports, land borders as well as crowded places such as schools, market places, commercial vehicle terminals, public work places, religious gatherings, among others.
The party also counselled the authorities to mobilize a more concerted effort against the pandemic, remain open, resist the temptation of false performance claims and keep Nigerians adequately informed on the true
position of issues at all times.
The PDP called on Nigerians to remain vigilant, ensure their personal hygiene and follow directives issued by the authorities in the collective effort to safeguard the nation from the scourge and stay
safe.
