Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has urged Nigerians to join forces with State and Federal Governments in the total battle against the dreaded disease called Coronavirus code named COVID-19.
Senator Mark said the unabating spread of the virus reinforces the urgent need for all citizens to comply with the Stay-at-home Order including observation of personal hygiene, regular washing of hands and the application of hand sanitizer to curtail the spread.
In a statement issued by his media adviser, Paul Mumeh, on the lockdown in some parts of the country as one of the measures to contain the scourge, Senator Mark urged citizens to accept the discomfort and cooperate with authorities in order to curtail and ultimately end the virus.
The former Senate helmsman urged the Federal Government to work out modalities towards palliatives for citizens in order to ameliorate the pains of the lockdown like it is done in other countries affected by the pandemic.
He however enjoined authorities especially the Law Enforcement Agencies to apply the internationally accepted standards of enforcement by respecting the human rights procedures, the rule of law and operating with human face.
He said: “It is necessary to observe all safety measures on both sides so that we would not unwittingly create more problems rather than solving them. After all, the whole essence is the safety of all”.
He reminded authorities that the primary objective of government is the welfare and security of the citizenry, a task he described as sacred and covenant with the people.
Senator Mark expressed optimism that the scourge would be surmountable only if all citizens comply with the preventive measures no matter the discomfort saying “it is better to be inconvenienced temporarily than the consequences of the virus”.