Philanthropist and Founder, Tegbe Foundation, Mr Olasunkanmi Joseph Tegbe has donated relief items worth millions to residents of Oyo State.
This is in light of the outbreak and spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria – and more recently in Oyo State.
Coronavirus – declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 March 2020 – is a highly contagious disease that has spread rapidly across the world, claimed many victims and threatened global economies. Following the confirmation of the first index case in Nigeria on 25 February 2020, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 139 cases of COVID-19 as at 31 March 2020, with 8 of these cases in the pacesetter state.
Speaking on the importance of providing social welfare at this time, Mr Tegbe said, “While we encourage everyone to practice social distancing and maintain good personal hygiene – especially the frequent washing of hands – we must remember that the economic and social impacts of this virus will be far-reaching on members of the society. Consequently, it is of utmost importance that we ensure that basic amenities are available to people at this time. I am, therefore, committed to contributing to the socio-economic welfare of the people of Oyo State by extending relief items to households across the state.”
He further stated, “To ensure that the people of Oyo state are properly educated and inspired to act responsibly, I have also sponsored radio and TV programmes emphasizing staying at home as the best course of action to fight this pandemic. I want everyone to know that we are in this together and we must be our brother’s keeper if we will flatten the curve and put an end to the spread of COVID-19 quickly. In light of this, it would be remiss of me not to use this opportunity to wish the Executive Governor of my beloved state, His Excellency, Engr, Seyi Makinde and everyone else battling this disease a speedy recovery.”
Tegbe, while donating these items to residents across the state, emphasized the guidelines of the WHO and NCDC on practising social distancing and maintaining high levels of personal hygiene. He also advocated that the government enforce a state-wide lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Finally, he encouraged citizens of the state to avoid sharing false and unverified information and advised that anyone in need of credible information should text ‘Help’ to either of these numbers on Whatsapp +41 79 893 18 92 or +234 708 711 0839.
