From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State council, Festus Alenkhe, yesterday, called on Nigerians to be fully committed to humanitarian services in order to save lives as a lot of persons are going through hard times due to the present day economic challenges in the country.
He made the call while being invested with the Long Service Award by the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Edo State branch in Benin City.
Alenkhe said nowadays, some persons have lost their sense of sympathy for their fellow being which is very sad, adding that, in an emergency situation, instead of rendering help to an accident victim, you see them busy making live videos and uploading same on the internet.
” I want to use this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians, do not use phones to resolve emergency situations.
“It is not the best. We know that when there is an emergency for instance, somebody falls inside a well, accident victim bleeding seriously, what you see, are people using phones to record the victims instead of saving lives.
“I am now appealing, let us stop this idea of using phones to resolve emergency situations, instead, drop the phone, rescue the person even if you can’t do the first aid, that you are trying to put the person in the nearest vehicle to the hospital, you have rendered first aid”, Alenkhe said.
He said also that to make issue of life saving very important, both states and the national assembly should pass a law to ensure that an emergency situation should be handled as such and not to be gambled with.
Earlier, the branch chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Pastor Monday Edogiawerie, said the theme of this year’s World Red Cross Day, which is, #Keeping Humanity Alive ” is being celebrated simultaneously in 186 severeign sister national societies globally.
He said in the state, their act of keeping humanity alive has helped them reached over 300 beneficiaries with livelihoods support to cushion the effects of COVID-19 and another 800 beneficiaries with Food and WASH programme during flooding.
Edogiawerie thanked the state government for its support to the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Edo state branch.