COVID-19 Pandemic: Igbo Town Unions On COVID-19 Urges Ndiigbo To Collaborate In Fight Against Tension

A clarion call had been made to all well meaning Ndiigbo both all over the globe to collaboratively work towards stemming the present tension posed by the dreaded coronavirus disease that is ravaging the entire nations of the world.

Association of South-East Town Union, ASETU (aka.
Association of Igbo Town Unions On COVID-19 PANDEMIC, in a release jointly signed by the National President- General, ASETU and
National Secretary General,
Chief Emeka Diwe and Chief Gideon Adikwuru, respectively, 
and made available to Famous Reporters today, regretted that the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and the world had caused a lot of hardship to families in Nigeria.

ASETU in the release advised Ndiigbo to invest more in the manufacturing sectors of the economy especially in the health products sub-sector “among other critical sectors as we have the capacity to do so. This may be one of the lessons to learn from this episode.”

The group in their pathetic tone, urged all stakeholders in Igbo land especially the South-East Governments and well-to-do business men and women to take adequate care of her citizenries, as they pray for a miraculous total turnaround from the pandemic.

Meanwhile, ASETU commended the move by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to handle the global COVID-19 pandemic across the country, but, however, noted with dismay the conspicuous absence of the South East from the mapping of Isolation and Testing Centres, insisting that,  “more support will be needed to better preemptively prepare all zones of the country for the spreading pandemic – it is better to build up the capacity of each zone to handle the crisis before the crisis erupts.”

“ASETU observes with dismay that one testing centre for COVID-19 is grossly inadequate for the South-East zone. ASETU hereby appeals to other South-East Governors to provide more COVID-19 testing centres in the zone if possible in a way that is spread out in the zone for easier access by people.”

“ASETU urges well-to-do Ndiigbo, both at home and in the Diaspora, to join forces and contribute to this fight against Covid-19. The Town Union, which is the closest administrative unit to the people, has offered them a robust and credible platform to reach out to the various Igbo communities to create awareness and distribute relief packages so to ameliorate the effects of this disease and lock down on the majority of our vulnerable people at the grassroots.”

They called also on the FGN, South-East Government and LGAs to collaborate with the different community town unions across Igbo land in providing palliative measures in a way that they are able to reach the targeted beneficiaries.

The group lauded the efforts of the South-East Governments on their unhesitant and fruitful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across the region with more focus on the Governor of Ebonyi state, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, whom they thanked immensely for procuring a suitable Testing Centre in the state.

“ASETU particularly wishes to thank the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State – His Excellency Engr. David Umahi, FNSE, FNATE, for his intervention as the only Governor in the South-East that has provided a COVID-19 testing centre in the zone.”

Furthermore, the group noted with interest the current positive mechanisms in use by both Enugu and Imo State Governments in her distribution of palliative measures to her vulnerable citizenries; and ask that other states in the zone should adopt the same approach.

Meanwhile, the group appealed to all citizens of South-East and Nigeria in general to continue to adhere to and comply with laid downmeasures and guidelines, as directed by the various Governments and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) “regarding COVID-19 so as to limit its spread.”   

Earlier with Famous Reporters, the Chief Diwe advised every Nigerian to learn to share with one another in the trial time, saying, “an injury to one is an injury to all”, as he prayed for the quick recovery of all victims of the disease.