Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Friday urged Nigerians to unite against the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
Saraki in a statement in Abuja noted that the occurrence of Nigeria’s first case of Covid-18 must be seen for what it is – “an opportunity to unite behind a common objective to overcome a threat to the health and wellbeing of our beloved country and her peoples.”
He added: “At this time, I appeal to the Federal Government to install and operate top of the line screening equipment at our airports, seaports and land borders while implementing a policy of stronger screening of people arriving our shores from countries with a high prevalence of the virus.
“I appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to step up its awareness campaign by transmitting information about the disease and the steps that can be taken to prevent it in as many Nigerian languages as possible.
“It is also necessary to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health to update Nigerians daily on events to help curb the spread of fake news and misinformation about the virus. I appeal to media houses to support this awareness campaign as much as possible.
“Finally, I appeal to Nigerians not to panic and to avoid spreading sensationalist or false information about the virus.
“I have always believed that Nigeria and Nigerians can overcome any challenges before us when we unite behind a common purpose. I believe we can do so now.”