NOA fully involved in campaign against COVID-19 – Lai Mohammed

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of information, Culture and Tourism, says the National Orientation Agency (NOA), is fully involved in the campaign to stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mohammed said this while responding to questions at the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 briefing, on Thursday in Abuja, against the backdrop of allegations that the agency had been docile.

He said allegations that NOA was not doing enough in terms of sensitisation, awareness creation and public enlightenment about COVID-19, were unfounded.

He said that a credible independent poll conducted, had certified that a greater percentage of Nigerians were aware of COVID-19, adding that only six per cent were unaware of the pandemic.

The minister said that NOA was doing a good job it was fully involved in the campaign against COVID-19.

“Some Nigerians said they were immune, others said that they believe in God that the virus would not touch them; and still others are taking preventive measures to forestall the spread,” he said.

Mohammed, however, urged Nigerians not to take such ‘fake news’ seriously.

In a related development, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the ministry now had a list of Nigerians in Diaspora that had indicated interest to return to Nigeria.

He said that the Airline that would fly them back home had already been selected.

“Though the number is high and the country’s isolation facilities will not be able to contain all of them.

“They would be brought in batches according to the number of isolation facilities available, in order not to congest the centres,” Onyeama said.