Former SEG DG, Oteh tells Nigeria, other to ‘weigh hungervirus against coronavirus,’

The former Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, has urged developing countries, including Nigeria to weigh the implications of hunger among the populace in the face of its fight against the spread of coronavirus.

Oteh in a tweet on Friday said the present restrictions on humans and businesses may be the huge investment needed to contain the spread of the deadly disease and preserving lives.

She spoke against the backdrop of disquiet within the country as a result of restlessness due to biting hunger as a result of the prolonged lockdown in some parts of the country.

“#covid19 #pandemic #crisis #lessons the jury is still out on #Isolation #SocialDistancing or rather #physical distancing, #ShelterInPlace, #lockdown. It may be a necessary investment in preserving lives,” Oteh wrote on her twitter handle.

“Developing countries must weigh the #hungervirus against #coronavirus,” the ex-DG of SEC said.

“#Lessons from #covid19 #pandemic #crisis – unanimous view that massive testing is a key instrument for tackling the crisis.

“#Innovation in testing needs to continue aggressively so that it is cheaper and easier to administer. There is already progress since you can use self swabs,” Oteh further wrote

Many Nigerians have been restless and agitating for the government to reopen the lockdown states to enable citizens to fend for themselves as the effect of the prolonged restrictions bites harder in some communities, especially among the most vulnerable and the working class.

Though some of the states, private sector operators and individuals have been providing some form of palliative to ease the pressure of the lockdown on some people considered poor and vulnerable, the impact of the palliatives has been minimal due to the distortion in the distributions of the relief packages.