From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The paramount ruler of Kaltungo chiefdom in Gombe State, (Mai Kaltungo), Engr Sale Muhammed, has called on governments and other actors, at state and federal levels, to activate more sensitisation campaigns to carry Nigerians along in the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to him, the sensitisation is more needed now that a vaccine for the virus has been found and the rumour surrounding the new discovery. Mai Kaltungo, who was the deputy chairman of the disbanded COVID-19 task-force in Gombe State made the call while interacting with newsmen on Friday in his palace.
He stated that Nigerians needs to be more sensitised on the need to adhere to the COVID-19 safety tips and stay safe as well. He said that a lot of effort has been made by the governments and the various task force and that it is yielding results for the country.
‘We’ve done so well in helping our people to protect themselves. For instance, in Gombe State, we have tested over 25,000 people and out of which the confirmed cases found in Gombe were about 1,450 and as you can see that is less than what was expected in a state that has a confirmed community transmission,’ he explained.
‘This shows that God has protested us and our people are listening to what we were telling them. The basic things to prevent the spread of this disease is very simple; first of all, the use of face mask and then hand washing these are the two things that will protect us and also protect others from us.
‘On the use of hand sanitiser, we all know our people and how poverty has ravaged us, I don’t think that can be acquired by all, so it is with the issue of social distancing. We have done a lot on that and we are still on it, but then our culture of what we have been used to and the way we have lived for thousands of years, especially in our markets where people go to get something to eat.
‘So, enforcing this social distancing on our people is near impossible, we can only try to make sure that the crowds and gathering are controlled,’ the royal father further explained.
‘I understand that the federal government has ordered the vaccine and we all know what people are saying about it. The government should embark on massive sensitisation before the arrival of the vaccine. This was because we all know and remember what happened during the discovery and the campaign against polio, which took the country several years to convince the people on its vaccine,’ Mai Kaltungo stated.