The Ooni, who is the Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), issued the alert in his Christmas/New Year message.

”The pandemic is very much around. It is erroneous to think that the rampaging virus has gone after the first wave.

“The wave of coronavirus we are dealing with now is deadlier than what we had in the first two quarters of the concluding year 2020, so I want to appeal to our people that it is not yet over.

”We must not lose our guards as we can hear in the news that more people are now testing positive for the virus.

“Imagine the strange strain of the disease in some parts of the world, making some people blind while others are losing vital organs which is absolutely new. While it is heartwarming that we now have vaccines coming up, the best way to cure this virus is not to get it at all.”

“Let us continue to wear our face masks, avoid crowds, and continue to wash our hands with soap and clean water. We must take responsibility as our personal safety has a lot to do with the health of the entire country,” he said.

On the need for unity in the country and peaceful coexistence among the citizens, Ooni urged Nigerians to always focus on issues that strengthen togetherness rather than issues causing disharmony.

He congratulated members of the Christian family globally on the 2020 Christmas celebration.

“The history of Jesus Christ is full of testimonies inspiring enough to find him worthy of emulation”, he said, describing Jesus Christ as a complete representation of a tolerant and peaceful leader worthy of emulation.

He also called on the Federal Government to aggressively pursue youth emancipation programs.

The Oba also called for the unveiling of recovery plans and policies capable of alleviating the suffering inflicted on the citizens by the prevailing economic crisis in the country.