The Military Writers Society of Nigeria has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to stress the armed forces with the anti-coronavirus war in the country.
The Society wants the Federal Government to allow them to focus on the war on terror in the country which according to it, is worse than Akanimo Sampson
The military writers are reacting to a statement by Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, that government will not hesitate to deploy the military and the police for contact tracing in cases where persons suspected to have contacted the virus do not voluntarily show up for testing.
Mohammed said this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. But, the President of the Military Writers Society of Nigeria, Akanimo Sampson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Police, the Civil Defence, and the secret police can handle the task effectively for the government.
“As a Society, we will not like the military to be encumbered with the coronavirus fight. We are impressed with how they are taking the fight to the insurgents in the North-East of Nigeria. We will like the authorities to allow them to concentrate on the war on terror and banditry’’, the president said.
He, however, explains that the Society is made up of men and women who have a passionate affection for the personnel of the armed forces who are defending Nigeria.
“Our members are first and foremost patriotic Nigerians who have chosen to honour the military- Army, Navy and Air Force- through and with their writings”.
Adding, he said, “we believe that our military is our pride and therefore we will do everything to protect its integrity and respect through our writings.’’
In the meantime, the government wants Nigerians to prepare for tougher measures as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We should be ready for tougher measures. The forms they will take will be out from the end of today or tomorrow. But Nigerians should be ready for tougher measures.
“If we don’t do proper contact tracing, the figure will multiply every five days. Nigerians must take ownership of this initiative.
“We won’t hesitate to use whatever measure to ensure that we do not endanger other Nigerians. Containment is very cheaper than cure. A few people have helped. If you know you travelled recently, give yourself up to relevant agencies’’, the information minister said.
Continuing, he argued, “if the situation warrants, we may be forced to use the police and the military for contact tracing. The police are already working on that. We don’t want the figure we have now to multiply. We should work towards containment which is cheaper.”
