Poverty, ignorance worsening COVID-19 in Nigeria — Kaigama

The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, says poverty and ignorance attitudes are some of the factors contributing to the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

He said this on Sunday in his Homily, delivered at St. Jude’s Parish, Zuba.

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According to him, “as basic as the facemask which is seriously recommended to be worn by everyone is to prevent spread of the virus, he has seen individuals wearing dirty face masks for days because they cannot afford new ones, thus leading to more infections.

“The other fear is that if it takes so much time and money now to do a test for COVID-19, will it be that easy for the poor to have access to the vaccine? As basic as the face mask which is seriously recommended to be worn by everyone is, I have seen individuals wearing dirty face masks for days because they cannot afford new ones, another reason for more infections.”

He said that he had been recently asked all kinds of questions about the coronavirus pandemic on whether it is real or an artificial disease created and spread so that some people can make money through the manufacture of vaccines among others

He said despite these questionings, the fact remained that in the last weeks, Monsignors, priests and prominent individuals had succumbed to the hands of death on account of coronavirus disease apart from the economic difficulties on account of the coronavirus pandemic that are palpable.

He said: “The fear in Africa today is that the menace of Coronavirus will continue to be with us for a long time, and so we need to be watchful and vigilant. Many in Nigeria however ask if the vaccines are medically safe and whether the poor can also benefit from them, considering that even the palliatives meant for the needy ended up in the homes of a few favoured ones or were needlessly hoarded in warehouses.”

He called for collective efforts to stem the spread of the virus, adding that before vaccinating Nigerians, the nation’s medical experts must ensure that the vaccines had been subjected to appropriate tests for genuineness and properly stored to allay the fear of contamination.