The Chairman, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Aliyu Modibbo has raised alarm over disobedience of residents to protocols put in place control the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic.
Modibbo expressed the concern at meeting with the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency Garba Abari and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 in Abuja.
The former FCT Minister said it was necessary to come up with a coherent communication strategy to reach the people as many of them were not obeying the basic guidelines and protocols put in place by the relevant authorities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In his remarks, Bello said the FCT Administration would partner with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 to draw up strategies for the implementation of new sensitization and awareness campaigns in the fight against COVID-19 in the Territory.
He noted that the earlier partnership with the organized private sector coordinated by the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee saw the FCT waging a largely successful campaign against COVID-19 with the provision and deployment of adequate bed spaces, palliatives, medical supplies and equipment and personnel.
The Minister however submitted that the FCT was faced with an even bigger challenge taking into consideration the fact that many residents were in denial about the dangers of the virus and were not taking the necessary preventive measures against its spread.
While stressing that it has become necessary to employ new communication strategies to spread the message, Bello said: “This partnership is aimed at re-invigorating the FCTA’s community communication strategies in the bid to save lives and livelihoods”.
Also speaking, the NOA DG, Abari said the meeting further brought to the fore the robust partnership between the FCTA and the private sector in the fight against the coronavirus.
He stated that the new sensitisation strategy to be tentatively known as the COVID-19 New Normal FCT Response, intends to go beyond just creating awareness but to begin the process of behavior modification and change of the citizenry to take personal responsibility for their health.
It was agreed at the meeting that an ad-hoc Committee be established to work out new communication strategies to be deployed in the next phase of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Committee will be Co-chaired by the DG NOA and Chairman of the Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee with members drawn from the FCTA, the NOA and the Advisory Committee.
