Mrs Dolapo Dosunmu, the Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Oyo State, says consumption of herbal plants is not an alternative to COVID-19 prevention or its treatment.
Dosunmu made this known during an advocacy visit to traditional rulers, on Thursday, at Iyana-offa in Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo state.
She admonished residents of the various communities in the local government and the state to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 guidelines/protocol as the best way to prevent the pandemic.
She told residents that COVID-19 was real and that they should not believe in unfounded theories that said coronavirus does not exist or that the virus could be prevented or cured through consumption of herbal plants and alcohol.
She said the advocacy visit was to intimate that traditional rulers on the need to pay more attention to the awareness campaign on COVID-19 pandemic.
“Part of the reasons why we are having an increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases is that since the gradual ease of the lockdown, people have started deviating from laid down guidelines.
“For instance, people have started having social engagement and celebration, where they gather without observing physical distancing or use of face masks.
“Now that the transmission of coronavirus is at the community level, there is need to empower the stakeholders, to be able to say more, do more in sensitising the people on COVID-19 guidelines.
“Maintaining physical distancing, using nose mask, washing of hands with soap should be a necessity and anyone with symptoms of coronavirus should immediately visit centres designated for COVID-19 test without delay.
`That is an obligation we are asking from you.
“As traditional rulers, you usually have traditional council meetings.
“So, in each of those meetings, please do more, empower more on why people should comply with the COVID-19 protocols,’’ Dosumu said.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers in Lagelu Local Government Area, Chief Isiaka Akinpelu, pledged that traditional leaders would support NOA in its sensitisation drive toward containment and prevention of COVID-19.
Akinpelu requested the agency to send its officers to the area regularly to carry out more enlightenment on COVID-19.
“We promise to take all the messages on COVID-19 back to our respective domains,’’ Akinpelu said.
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