Ololade Adeyanju/
Nigerians have been enjoined to lend individual and collective support to ongoing efforts of the federal and state governments to completely eradicate the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
This advice was given today by the Group Chief Executive of Cititrust Holdings Plc, Mr Yemi Adefisan, during the presentation of foodstuffs comprising rice, noodles and vegetable oil to the Osun State government in support of the fight against the deadly virus.
The Cititrust team which was led by Mr. Kunle Adewole, representing the Group Chief Executive, was welcomed by the state government’s delegation led by a former Group Managing Director of Odu’a Investment Company Limited and Secretary of the Food and Relief Committee, Mr. Adebayo Jimoh.
Speaking further at the event which took place in Osogbo, the state capital, on Tuesday, Adefisan disclosed that the company is also extending a similar gesture to the Lagos State government and governments of Kenya, South Africa and eight other African countries.
He emphasised that it has been shown the world over that citizens’ attitude is very crucial to stopping the spread of the virus, adding, “As long as we can stop coronavirus from spreading further, it is a matter of time before we will totally eradicate it”.
He therefore urged Nigerians to adhere strictly to all the directives of government, particularly with regards to movement restriction, social distancing and hand hygiene.
Likening the fight against the virus to a football game, he said, “Each time government identifies and isolates an infected person, we have scored a goal against coronavirus. But each time we allow another person to get infected, we have allowed the virus to equalise against us.
“The plain truth however is that no country has the capacity to compete against the virus. For every single goal you score, it scores a hundred or more whenever you give it a chance by disobeying the directives of government.
“So our only hope of defeating coronavirus is not to allow it any chance to score by ensuring that we sit at home and resist every temptation to go out except when absolutely necessary, during this lockdown. That is the only way we can ensure its total and permanent defeat.”
He also appealed to corporate Nigeria and wealthy individuals not to get tired of supporting the fight against the virus both in cash and in kind.
Responding, Jimoh expressed the gratitude of the state government to Cititrust for the “kind, thoughtful and compassionate gesture”.
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