Minister Atanga Nji urges traders to champion fight against COVID-19

The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji today visited traders at the Yaounde Central Market as part of measures to spur the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Encouraging them to remain faithful to government measures, he handed some 2,000 facemasks to be distributed among traders.

Accompanied by administrative authorities and officials of his ministry, the minister said he had been sent by the Head of State to carry out the exercise.

“The coronavirus is very serious and the government under the esteemed instructions of President Paul Biya said we should go down on the field and start the sensitisation campaign because there is a lot of carelessness and people are thinking that the virus is over,” he told state media.

“The virus,” Minister Atanga Nji said, “is not over. We have to work as if it started today”.

“When someone is coming inside your shop to buy something and he has no facemask, tell him to wear his facemask because the idea is that he has to protect himself to protect others,” he told the traders.

The minister’s visit to the Yaounde Central Market is one of other government efforts in the fight against the pandemic.

Over the weekend, the University of Buea announced that from March 26, no student or staff will be permitted on campus without a negative COVID-19 test result.

Secondary Education Minister, Pauline Nalova Lyonga also recommended mass testing in all secondary schools across the country.

Government it should however be recalled, had clashed with opposition party, MRC last year, obstructing the body from distributing aid against Covid-19.