A former representative candidate of Monstserrado County, District # 12 is calling on the government to include all political parties in the fight against covid-19 if it must succeed in raiding the virus in the country.
Amb. Laraamand Nyonton said the fight against covid-19 is the responsibility of every Liberian from the ruling political party to opposition political parties and even the media to send out positive messages to help curtail the spread of the virus in the country.
Speaking on the Truth Breakfast Show on Truth FM via mobile phone, Nyonton explained that from the prevention stage to the confirmation of the first case in Liberia, the government’s strategy has not been able to prevent the spread of the virus. “If you look at the technology of the government response, you will realize that the government is gradually losing the fight, ” he asserted.
Amb. Nyonton agreed that the government has demonstrated political will in the fight against covid-19 in terms of initiating a partial lockdown, declaring a State of Emergency and submitting to the national Legislature a bill for a stimulus package; yet he said there is still a show of less political inclusiveness.
The former District # 12 representative candidate suggested that the government outsource the fight against covid-19 to a private sector coordinator if the country must be free from the virus.
He furthered that the government needs to entrust the private sector engagement committee with the fight and play a monitoring role in the process instead. “If we are to consider a way forward, we as a nation should be thinking about outsourcing this fight to a private sector coordinator arm that takes into account real professionalism,” he noted.
Amb. Nyonton asserted that the government’s failure to deliver its stimulus package to the citizens coupled with its poor communication strategies surrounding the fight against the covid-19 are signs that the government is gradually losing the fight.
Talking about logistics, Amb. Nyonton said the government is still lacking behind in providing the needed materials to fight the virus and alleged that to date, health facilities still lack PPEs and ventilators; something he said is also undermining the fight against covid-19.
Amb. Nyonton cited the existence of many different committees set up by the government in the fight as another setback in its success and added that those committees are duplications of ministries and agencies thereby making it difficult for them to respond adequately to issues surrounding the fight against covid-19.
Inserting how he has launched a food assistance program for the distribution of food items in the district also suggested that in order for the nation to be moved from partial lockdown to full lockdown, the stimulus package must be provided to all citizens to enable the government curtail the virus effectively.