The National Orientation Agency NOA, Abia State has urged residents of the state to always ensure that they observe all the safety guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) in the fight against COVID19 pandemic.
The State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Abia State, Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu stated this during a Motorized Sensitization Campaign tagged “Communicating Government Policies, Programmes And Activities: Be Responsible, Do Your Part To Rid Nigeria Of COVID-19” aimed to curb the spread of COVID19 at Ubani Ibeku Ultra Modern market in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State.
Speaking during the occasion, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, Abia State, Dr. Ngozi Okechukwu stated that since the spread of the dreaded disease, the Agency has taken responsibility by maximizing it’s various platforms with the Federal, State and Local Government Areas to provide real-time information, communicate verified facts, debunk rumours and demonstrate preventive behaviors about the pandemic.
She said NOA is deeply concerned that even as the spread of the virus keeps soaring in the State, Citizens continue to display indifference in following protocols and government guidelines; “A level of ignorance still looms among Abians as it concerns COVID – 19”, she revealed.
Lady Okechukwu reiterated in her address that “COVID-19 being a new disease with its changing characteristics, the statistics is indeed scary; it’s exponential spread rate, the fact that it’s easily transmissible and highly contagious. The death rates particularly among the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions is high. It has been said that the virus has killed more people than the Vietnam war, Gulf war, Afghanistan war and even the Iraq war. Coronavirus doesn’t discriminate race, nationality, language, class and age. Also very disturbing is that 80% of people with COVID–19 are not aware they have this disease because they are asymptomatic. With no vaccine or treatment yet, several preventive measures should be followed to contain the spread”.
The Abia NOA Boss insisted that it is not time to relax and revealed that the number of infected people from community transmission has far out numbered those who got infected from outside the country.
She noted that the Agency would commence monitoring of Churches, Mosques and Markets in the state to ensure adherence to wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing and proper washing of hands.
Lady Okechukwu said, “We need collective solidarity and clear, actionable efforts to support communities and people affected by this new outbreak. Misconceptions, rumours and misinformation contributing to stigma and discrimination which hamper response efforts should be debunked by all stakeholders. If Nigeria successfully contained the 2014 Ebola outbreak, together we can curb the spread of COVID – 19 pandemic”.
She prayed for the speedy recovery of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was declared COVID 19 positive and appealed to the State Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19 to integrate NOA in sensitization of the communities, as NOA has strong foundation in public enlightenment, social mobilization and attitudinal change. “With our 17 offices in the L.G.As adding we are also structurally ready and strategically positioned to carry the message of COVID 19 to the Communities”, Okechukwu assured.
She however thanked the Abia State government for the provision of food palliatives to the people during the lock down period while urging all Staff of NOA and Abians in general to be responsible and do their part to rid Nigeria of COVID-19 and also encouraged NOA Community Mobilization Officers and State Directorate Officers to add more efforts to reach the innermost parts of “our Communities”.
Responding the Chairman, Ubani Emede community, Mr. Anthony Iroegbu thanked NOA for organizing the programme stating that the message would be taken down to the people in their villages.
Some of the Traders in an interview expressed joy over the program stating that most of them have started taken preventive measures in curbing the pandemic according to the regulatory protocols of the front line Committees.
The highlights were lectures on effective adherence to hygiene protocols, the distribution of facemasks to the Villagers and Traders and demonstrations for effective usage during the public enlightenment campaign.
