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By Ochai Sunday
Ogunyannwo, President & Founder, Mediation Training Institute
As Covid 19 crisis rages across the world, a United States-trained expert, and Founder, Mediation Training Institute, Ogunyannwo, E. Olusegun has volunteered technical assistance to President Muhammadu Buhari to effectively manage shutdown of Nigeria, which according to his advice is expedient in the containment of the deadly virus disease at this time.
In a richly worded letter Mr Ogunyannwo sent to the President and made available to pressmen detailing his ‘Mission to save Nigeria from COVID 19’ which he launched the previous day in Abuja, he called on president Buhari to urgently shutdown the nation as a way of mobilizing grass-root support for the prevention of the spread of the deadly virus in Nigeria as well as to encourage and ensure voluntary self-isolation for ALL Nigerians for 21 days
Being organised in collaboration with the Just One Foundation, My Take Initiative and the Abuja Branch of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), Mr Ogunyannwo described ‘Mission to save Nigeria from COVID 19’ as an integrated approach that will enable ALL Nigerians to stay at home for 21 days without bothering about what to eat or what to drink.
In his word “Your Excellency, Nigerians urgently need your kind and committed support to prevent the spread of the virus in the most populous nation in Africa. I believe we can checkmate it at this incipient stage. Your Excellency, the situation in Italy will pale into lamentable insignificance if we do not act now. Yes, Your Excellency, NOW!
“The initial gestation period of the virus is 14 days. If we all stay at home for 21 days, it will be enough time to identify and know those who have been affected” Mr Ogunyannwo added.
“Your Excellency, I humbly call on you to please order a COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF NON-ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND MOVEMENTS and ask Nigerians to self-isolate for an initial period of twenty-one 21 days, starting from 12 noon on Monday March 30, 2020”.
“Please, Your Excellency. Let ONLY security officers be on the road to enforce your orders as well as health personnel. Let ALL other Nigerians be asked to stay at home. It is also expedient for ALL our borders to be shut Your Excellency”
Ogunyannwo further clarified that the proposed integrated approach he is working on with his partners will uniquely address the following challenges:
- Perishable food items and non-perishable items should be bought off markets before they are shutdown by government and by well-meaning and commuted individuals within the different communities and stored at the LG Secretariats Local vigilante groups will kindly keep watch over the items
- Organizations and business owners are encouraged to pay their staff for March and April if they can afford it or make provision for them to buy things that they may need for the period
- Since a good number of Nigerians are jobless and millions are daily paid workers, provision must be made to feed them while at home through communal effort that will allow a House to House distribution of food and water. They should NOT be made to come out of their houses. It will be home delivery. Those who are homeless should be made to stay at the LGAs, Churches and Mosques Your Excellency, if food and water have been addressed, usually people can cope with the remaining needs
- Chairpersons of LGAs are encouraged to immediately call for an emergency meeting of stakeholders to coordinate the program. They should arrange with Councillors and other stakeholders on how the food will be distributed
- National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) will be asked to kindly provide vehicles for the distribution exercise. Communities and housing estates can also make their own provisions for transportation for the distribution exercise
- Manufacturers of various food items and water will be asked to kindly donate their products to the pool and if possible, keep some workers in their factories to continue to work, rest and sleep within the premises. Adequate provision will be made for their sustenance.
- NSCDC, the Police and indeed the Army will ensure compliance of the seat at home edict
- The plan essentially is to provide coordinated direction for the national shutdown in a way that people see why they should stay at home without the fear of the unknown especially in respect of food and water
- Those infected can be attended to at the designated health centres. The same toll-free lines provided by the Ministry of Health will be maintained.
- The program is obviously not perfect, but I believe will give us some coordinated direction at this most crucial time in the history of Nigeria. India and some other nations have started implementing a complete 21 days shutdown.
He further elucidated that Mission to Save Nigeria from Covid-19: An Integrated Approach, is his humble contribution to nation building at this most critical time in the history of Nigeria and indeed the world stating that he is not asking for money from the government in coordinating the program rather will be glad to pick his bills.
He concluded by calling on all Nigerians to keep to the rules of the shutdown to achieve the needed result but advised that government must do it in a way that encourages Nigerians to be their brothers’ keepers. “Some of us have stockpile of food and other provisions at home that can last us several months. There are millions who cannot even for one day. We must remember always that the strength of the family is determined by the way we treat the most vulnerable and weakest members of the family”, He added.
A renowned and refutable figure like Oga Segun need to be supported in this cause. His humanitarian service is not only enlightenment and awareness but a life saver. He is not only tested but presently committed to the aftermight of victims and commuters in fight against the Boko Haram in the North East of Nigeria under the UNDP support program. He is successful and therefore deserve all trust and support by the government or NGO.