A member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama, has called on the people of his constituency, the state and the nation to be wary of fake and rampant information about unproven solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lawmaker who made the call during a video conference with journalists following the lockdown order by the Federal Government, also warned against self medication by Nigerians.
Ihama, a gubernatorial aspirant in the forth-coming governorship election in Edo State, also appealed to traders to avoid hiking the prices of staple foods thereby exploiting consumers at these trying times of socio-economic hardship and uncertainties.
In a statement he presented virtually and titled ‘Covid-19: Knowledge and Action, Our Weapons’, the lawmaker said: “It is important we act on information from only credible news sources, and as much as possible avoid any kind of self-medication. If you sense you have symptoms, please consult a health-care centre.
“I plead with our traders and sellers to have the fear of God in their hearts and compassion towards their brothers and sisters this period by resisting the temptation to hoard and over-price essentials goods. I have been shocked to see the astronomical rise in the costs of items like face-masks, hand-gloves, and hand-sanitisers. No ‘artificial-profit’ that costs live is worth it,” he said.
Describing the current situation as a scene from a doomsday sci-fi movie, Ihama noted that Nigerians and indeed, the rest of humanity “are faced with the reality of an invincible enemy that threatens our long-held traditions, strong communal bonds, and most seriously, our very existence.
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“The Corona Virus (COVID-19) presents about the most difficult situation we have found ourselves, probably since the civil war.
“While these are really scary times, we are not in a hopeless situation. As with every challenge that confronts man, the solutions always come from the same sources – Knowledge and Action. Defeating this scourge truly is not difficult if we will get accurate and genuine knowledge about it and take necessary actions to protect ourselves to stop the spread. Here are a few important things to know and do.
“The virus can not harm us as long as it remains outside our bodies. So even if you contact someone who has it, it has no effect on you until you ingest it. We must not let it get in.
“That is why two of the most important actions you can take this period are to wash your hands always and keep your hands away from your face!
“We must help stop the spread by avoiding as much as possible any sort of gatherings and avoid handshakes. As much as possible, the best place to be now is in your home.
“Thankfully the government has helped by taking some pro-active steps that we believe will go a long way in stemming the spread if followed by our people.
