Nigerians should unite to defeat coronavirus — NIMN

By Idowu Bankole

The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has said with unity, Nigeria will defeat the Coronavirus pandemic just like it overcame Ebola.

In a statement signed by NIMN President/Chairman of Council, Tony Agenmonmen, the Institute urged Nigerians to adhere strictly to the health advisory published and announced by the relevant health authorities such as WHO, Ministry of Health and NCDC, in order to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

He also commended health care workers in the country for their commitment and tireless efforts to keep the country free of the pandemic.

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He said this is not the time to give in to despondency, surrender to helplessness, and resign ourselves to fate.

“Rather, this is the period to dig deep into our reservoir of courage and resilience and be resolute in our collective avowal to confront the monster challenge of Coronavirus pandemic. Last time, together we defeated Ebola. This time, united, we can also defeat Coronavirus,” he said.

According to Agenmonmen, it will be stating the obvious that the increasing cases of COVID-19 or Coronavirus infection globally, and in Nigeria in particular, is alarming, stressing that this is creating heightened apprehension and fear as the end to the scourge seems not to be in sight.

He said, “the situation is already bad enough. So, we should not be part of fake news being peddled around on social media which can only serve to create more fears among our people.

“The Federal and various state governments have imposed restrictive measures to combat the pandemic. These measures will no doubt cause great hardship and inconvenience to our people. But they represent necessary sacrifices we have to make in the wake of the serious challenge posed by COVID-19.

“We note and commend the various palliatives already announced by the Federal government. We urge the government to ensure that these palliatives are not hijacked and that they reach the intended recipients. We further urge the government to do even more in alleviating the impact on the significant population of our people whose daily means of livelihood has been pulsed as a result of the various restrictions.”

The NIMN President urged the Federal Ministry of Information, through the National Orientation Agency to live to the challenge of educating Nigerians,  especially those in the rural areas, about the pandemic and the preventive steps to take.

He said, “We salute the magnanimity and benevolence of the Nigerians and Corporate organisations that have donated generously, both in cash and kind, to the Federal and State Governments, resources to manage the Coronavirus challenge. We extend our appreciation to the state governments that have put in place some palliative packages for their people. Others that are yet to do so should recognize it as important and necessary and do the needful.

He urged Nigerians to utilize the ample time created by the stay-at-home/lockdown order to spend quality time with their loved ones and bond with friends.

He said, “We also have the opportunity to do some physical exercises to keep fit, alert and healthy. We should read educative materials to exercise our mental muscles, stay current, and informed. For movie lovers, they should watch interesting movies to relax and ease tension.

“The time is also opportune to enrol for online courses to update and upgrade our knowledge or learn new skills. More importantly, these times offer us the opportunity to reconnect with God at a more personal level and have a deeper understanding of what this life is truly all about.

“Even though these are scary times, we urge our people to be strong. Together we can and shall defeat this invisible enemy. This too shall pass.”

Vanguard

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