By Correspondent in Ilorin
A Professor of Medicine, University of Ilorin, Emmanuel Obi Okoro, has urged the Federal government not to be in a hurry to expend billions of naira earmarked for procurement of vaccines against COVID-19.
Prof.Okoro, delivering his paper at the occasion.
The don, who acknowledged that the virus had taken its toll on global community, said Nigeria was expected to act based on its own needs and best interest, like countries with responsible governments.
Professor Okoro stated this on Wednesday on the sidelines of the keynote paper he presented at the third Biennial Conference of the University of Ilorin and University of Georgia.
The correspondent of The Reporters reports that the theme of the conference is,”Challenges of COVID-19 on Language and Culture, Religion and Security in Africa and Diaspora”, held at the Main Auditorium of the University of Ilorin.
He said instead, government should tread with caution on its initial plan to vaccinate 70 percent of its population with the colossal budgeted.
Professor Okoro, who presented the keynote paper with the support of a Senior Registrar in Psychiatric Unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr Salihu Olaitan and Dr Azi Baniga, admonished the Nigerian authority to target the most vulnerable people,if it must carry out the vaccination.
“The keynote speaker, said,”Since we don’t have added pressure of mass death and overstretching of the hospitals, may be it is wiser to temporize.”
The don also appealed to the government not to allow its interest on campaign against the spread of COVID-19 to jeopardize the interest of the global system.
Also speaking, the Dean Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulRasheed Adeoye, harped on the reality of the global virus, adding that it had exposed the vulnerability in the citizenry.
He expressed concern that the advent of the pandemic, with its follies and foibles, had led to the deconstruction of established norms, traditions, customs and theories.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Sulyman Abdulkareem, who declared the three-day international conference open, noted that the virus was not only real but had changed the lives of the people.
Professor Abdulkareem expressed displeasure over the use of social media platforms to propagate falsehood and misinform the public about the state of the dreadful disease.
The Chairman, Local organizing Committee, Prof. Pius Oyeniran Abioje(LOC), stressed the importance of the 3rd Biennial International Conference in the area of information disemination amongst others.
He noted that the theme of the conference examined the challenges COVIDVl-19ovid-19 had posed in social, physical and economic well being of the citizens and proffered solution in the best way to go.
He said,”Social life is affected, interaction has changed, poverty is setting in, the economy is getting wind, all in the name of corona virus. We thought it wise it is something we examine academically the reality of it, what should have been done and what can still be done.”
