Coronavirus: Being precautious is best

I woke up to the news of Nigerian schools shutting down, including universities. This jolted me into the reality of how serious the coronavirus is. We have heard of people dying from this disease but the death didn’t occur in Lagos. I am starting to realize how disastrous the spread of this virus would be in Nigeria. The Federal Government is taking the necessary precautions by shutting down schools where the rate of spreading the virus would be much higher than other social gatherings.

But does this solve the problem of people trying to get to work? Shouldn’t we all self-isolate? But when I think about it, I don’t think we will be able to survive being indoors for too long. Not everyone has the money to stockpile their homes with food and other necessities. I really hope this virus is eradicated quickly so we can go back to our normal lives. May the Lord help us.

Gladys Godspower, Lagos

Edo 2020 postponed

The Edo 2020 National Sport Festival has been postponed due to concerns of coronavirus. This is a sign that our part of the world is taking precautions to ensure this deadly virus doesn’t spread. Many people have started to self-isolate and even work from home. I would like to commend the Edo State government for its proactive measures. It would also be better if other organizations took a cue from this. We are in the digital age where people can work from home. It would do us a lot of good to stay home so as to reduce the chances of spreading the virus. We just might survive this virus with measures like this.

Omawunmi Agbonavbare, Benin

Is drug trafficking a thing of the past?

When I think about it, it’s been a while I heard of people trafficking drugs. There was a time this was the order of the day. Nigerians were arrested not only in Nigeria but in foreign countries too for drug trafficking. I am not saying that this has stopped entirely. But, it has reduced drastically. This says a lot about the security at Nigeria’s international airports. We might not see it now but Nigeria is getting better. There is still hope for Nigeria. We are getting there.

Abubakar Hassan, Kano

Creative minds are not appreciated

I have worked with a lot of creative minds such as artists and sculptures. I can say that Nigeria does not in any way encourage them to do more. I have seen extraordinary artworks done by extremely talented Nigerians but these works are not appreciated. The government should do better to commend, recognize and encourage these group of people. Some of them have to sponsor their art with other sources of income. The world is evolving and we should also evolve with it. Let us do better by buying their art, sponsoring exhibitions and encouraging them to do more.

Ifeoma Echezona, Owerri

Cyber fraud

Cyber fraud has been a problem that affects how Nigerians are perceived internationally. You go to foreign countries and you are instantly profiled to be a fraudster because of your nationality. This stigma has cost so many Nigerians in the Diaspora a lot of life-changing opportunities. The Nigerian government has since worked very hard to make sure this is eradicated. Nigeria’s anti-fraud agency has not relented in apprehending criminals and this has created awareness to not only Nigerians but foreigners that Nigeria does not condone crime.

Iwalewa Omoniyi, Ado-Ekiti

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