Coronavirus: Buratai Urged to Postpone Army National Golf Tournament
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has been urged to postpone the National Pro Army Golf Tournament that is expected to gather hundreds of participants from Nigeria and Africa, to avoid further spread of the Coronavirus disease.
Only Wednesday, March 18, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, confirmed five new cases of the disease in Nigeria, which brings the total number of cases to 8, while government has intensified contact tracing for more possible cases in the country.
This is just as more countries including Africa have continued to record rapid spread of the disease, with nearly 200,000 confirmed cases worldwide.
The Nigerian government had also on the 17th of this month placed a ban on travel into Nigeria from 13 high risk countries, while public officials have been also barred from traveling abroad.
The golf tournament is scheduled to hold this weekend from 19-22 March and will gather over 300 professional and amateur golfers from all over the country in addition to the caddies and other support staff as well as the spectators will gather at the army eagle golf club, Abuja.
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Dr. Deshi at the Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon who made this call, stressed that it was important to discourage public gathering to curb “this yet to fully understood but ferociously evolving virus.”
The former president Nigerian Golf Federation (NGF), noted that the minimum expected people at the event is over 500 and from all over the country and some golf professionals coming from other way African countries.
“This is not advisable at this critical time of corona pandemic and should not be seen to be organised by a respectable and disciplined government agency like the Nigerian army.
“The world golfing community is small and so information on this tournament and indeed any golfing tournament is always known within the golfing community world wide. Not a good image and publicity for Nigeria.
“We must be seen to be in tandem with the world in fighting this serious pandemic that has so far shown that it is no respecter of international boundaries, ethnicity, religion, region or class..
“There is a need for a postponement of this national golfing gathering to a later and safer date. Most important international sporting events have been similarly postponed world wide. Thank you sir,” he said.
By PRNigeria
