President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday disclosed that the rampaging Coronavirus was taking a huge toll on the nation’s economy.
The novel disease which emerged late December last year in China has currently spread to about 90 countries of the world with over 100, 000 infections and close to 4,000 deaths.
China, which is Nigeria’s major business partner has been adversely affected by the disease.
A statement issued by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said Buhari spoke when workers in the health sector, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly Healthcare Professionals Associations (AHPA), paid him a courtesy call in his office.
According to the statement, the President appealed to the health workers to consider the current state of the economy and be moderate in their demands, even as he assured that government was looking into their issues with a view to resolving them.
“Your case is certainly receiving attention, but you must bear in mind the condition that the country is in now.
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“Coronavirus is not improving matters. It is affecting what we very much depend on, the petroleum industry and therefore revenue,” the statement quoted Buhari as saying.
The President further called on the leadership of the health workers to appeal to the patriotic sentiments of their members in these trying times and continue to work for further development of the country.
His words: “So please try and help us with your people. Let us be patriotic, let us look at the ways and means of the government and appeal for restraint.
“We have to emphasize that it is very important we maintain cohesion together, because if we allow sentiments or popularity to overwhelm our reasoning faculties, we will be in trouble and it will be too late for us to adjust, so please bear with us.”
The health workers were in Abuja to intimate the President with some of the contentious issues in the sector and to thank him for some of the positive developments.
