Don’t just wish, pray against disease, Lagos govt tells residents

As part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Lagos State Government has held a sensitisation rally for stakeholders at the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Participants were charged to not just wish away the disease, but pray it away and take concrete actions aimed at checking its spread in the state.

Director General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources, Mathew Oladunjoye, charged the different associations to replicate the exercise in their domains.

He also urged the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and market leaders to not only pray and reject coronavirus and its spread, but they should take hygienic steps that would halt the spread or ensure that they do not contact it.

He said it was the reason the state government asked LASEMA to take the sensitisation to the grassroots level in partnership with the council areas, as well as market and community leaders.

Oke-Osanyintolu added that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu wanted every resident to fully understand what needed to be done to check the spread and stop them from contacting the virus, saying that their understanding was critical to taming the scourge.

Head of LASEMA Medical Team, Dr. Yasid Omotayo, gave insight of precautionary steps residents should take not to contact or spread the virus.

He also enlightened them on the social distance to maintain when they suspect that someone could have the virus or just arrived from a highly infected country.

While highlighting the importance of living in clean and hygienic environments, he explained the significance of regular hand washing and how to wash hands appropriately.

Chairman of Ifako Ijaiye Local Council Development Area, Oluruntoba Oke, who was represented by the Vice Chairman, Usman Hamzat, commended the state government for organising the sensitisation programme, as it would educate stakeholders in the area to know what to do to check the spread of the virus.

Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), Ifako-Ijaiye, Samuel Opajobi and Iyaloja General, Ifako-Ijaiye, Adedoyin Coker Ogunbiyi, promised to take the message to their members, educate them on how to prevent contacting or spreading the virus.