Former NGF boss urges Buratai to postpone Army national tourney

A former president of the Nigerian Golf Federation (NGF), Peter DEshi, has urged the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to postpone the National Pro Army Golf Tournament to avoid further spread of the Coronavirus disease, reports prnigeria.com.

The competition is expected to feature more than 100 players from Nigeria and other African countries.On Wednesday, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, confirmed five new cases of the disease in Nigeria, which brings the total number of cases to eight, while government has intensified contact tracing for more possible cases in the country. This is just as more countries, including African nations, have continued to record rapid spread of the disease, with nearly 200,000 confirmed cases worldwide.

The Federal Government had also on the month 17 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 today to March 22 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 spectators at the Eagle Golf Club, Abuja.

Dr. Deshi, a Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, stressed that it was important to discourage public gathering to curb “this yet to fully understood but ferociously evolving virus.” He 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,” he said.