Worried by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in the country, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on the federal government, to as a matter of urgency shut down non-essential activities to curb the spread of the disease in the country.
President of the NUJ, Chris Isugizo, who made the appeal in a statement on Saturday, noted that the issue had become a matter of uppermost priority “to avert an impending catastrophe”.
The federal government had on Thursday and Friday ordered the shutdown of all international airports in the country, as well as placed a travel ban on 13 countries, all in a bid to check the spread of the virus.
“This is necessary due to the fact that more cases are springing up in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Only essential services like medical services, the Police, armed forces, fire services, telecommunications, the media, banks, selected markets and the power sector should be allowed to operate in the meantime.
“We equally call on Nigerians to adhere strictly to advice from medical institutions, while governments at all levels should emulate China, America and other European countries taking urgent remedial measures to ensure that the people do not suffer untold hardships.
“This is the time to work together for the collective survival of the country because no one is safe if only one person gets infected,” Isiguzo said.
