Covid19: PDP calls for More stringent measures against scourge

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Federal Government to step up its actions, move beyond rudimentary interventions and adopt more stringent measures to further safeguard our nation from the Covid19 pandemic.
The PDP said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
While noting the steps so far being taken by the federal government, the PDP expressed worries that the current approach still falls short of the required pre-emptive measures, thereby leaving gaps that “expose our nation to avoidable risks”.
The leading opposition party observed that Nigeria is a strategic international hub, stressing that as such, the Federal Government should adopt stringent pre-emptive measures “by radically stepping up our international ports and border screening as well as quickly improving our internal surveillance and hygiene monitoring system”.
According to the PDP’s statement, “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 aircrafts to guarantee the safety of air travellers within Nigeria”, it said.
The PDP urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps to create more screening centers and lead in providing more screening equipment in all the nation’s 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 however called on Nigerians to remain vigilant, ensure their personal hygiene and follow directives issued by the authorities in the collective effort to safeguard our nation from the scourge and stay safe.