The National President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, (NANNM), Abdurafiu Adeniji, has said that the relaxation of lockdown was not the best option at a time when the country was still experiencing a spike in COVID-19 pandemic.
Though, he described the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to relax the lockdown as the most feasible option available for now, “but definitely not the best option.”
Adeniji, who said President Buhari’s decision was a product of various factors; pointed out that the best option available for the country to get the best result is to still embark on a complete lockdown until there is no case of community transmission.
Speaking in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, the NANNM President insisted that, there should still be a total lockdown, adding that it would be better if Nigerians could be patient enough to stay at home until there was no case of community transmission.
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“We are all in it together and there is nothing we can use to insulate ourselves or to exorcise ourselves from what is happening in Nigeria. I saw the president speech as the one that is a product of various factors.
“I know that the decision of the president is a product of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, and that was the most technical aspect of it. And coupled with the political angle which is that of the governor and the masses as well.”
On the workability of the decision, he said, “as of now, that is the most feasible option, it may not be the best option. If Nigerians could be patient enough to stay at home until there is no case of community transition, it would have been better.
“We are yet to get to the peak of this thing and, coupled with the ignorance and the attitude of our people who hide under one finger and going about not declaring their status is a serious issue.
“We are supposed to be on complete lockdown. If I have my way and the opportunity to advise Mr President, I will say that there must still be a total lockdown.
“However, in his speech, there are reasons advanced for this but one thing the government should not do is to open the border, one thing the government should not do is to totally go away from pursuing good surveillance; and one thing the government should not do is to relax in the testing of our people.”
He said Nigeria must continue to strengthen these areas and move ahead to see what will come out of it.
Understandably, he pointed out that everybody is under pressure; saying that “even the health workers that are going to work today are no more the same. What we have on ground now is not the best because all these one day off, one day on are not helping the matter.”
