World Of Dance Entertainment WODE has been put on hold for the past 4weeks due to the CoVid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria that has already claimed the life of 10 persons and infected more than 300 individuals.
While the medical practitioners are still combating this crisis, the government has also stock to their state wide lockdown to continuously effect the social distancing instructions during this times to help contain the process.
Ikorodu News Network had a brief chat with the Head of Operations of WODE Mr Akintunde Adeshina who has been with the company since it’s inception in 2018 to ascertain the challenges and strive faced by the Brand as the entire system has been shutdown.
INN: So far how have you seen what is happening in the world today as regards CoVid-19 Pandemic?
Mr. Shina: First and foremost, the situations are beyond one’s understanding, I never thought in my whole entire life that situations like this can come up and make every activities paused in such a drastic way.
That every one can stay at home like this doing notting, who would ever thought at the end of 2019. 2020 was calculated to be a year of bigger positive adventure across the globe, but right now this is really ridiculous.
INN: Our Nigerian economy, when its all said and done how quick do you think we can recover from this?
Mr. Shina: In view of the Coronavirus pandemic or CoVid-19 lockdown right now, Nigeria has not hit it’s peak as you can see, the ratio had not decline since this began, for me it is too early to weigh in the effect and how quickly Nigerian economy will bounce back.
We’re just beginning, is going to affect every sector of the country & revenue at the end of it all. Though it is too early to access it, but at the end of it all it will warrant strong measures needed to revive our economy.
INN: Why has WODE not been able to join the campaign of sensitising the masses on the dangers of contracting CoVid-19? A company that has been very active in serving the community, You guys have been relatively silent?
Mr. Shina: The CEO has been silent on that so that is why you might have not seen alot of sensitisation from our brand, But I think we have been able to caution our people, I myself as an individual single handedly tell people about the dangers of this Coronavirus pandemic, The measures to take by doing proper hand washing with running water and soap or using sanitizer that is alcohol base & for people to always stay away one to 4metres from someone sneezing or coughing.
INN: World of dance Entertainment WODE closed down training on the 20th Of March this year due to this pandemic. The company has always made it possible for it strikers to meet weekly, but now it’s not the same case anymore. How does this challenge the brand?
Mr. Shina: World Of Dance Entertainment WODE is already an house hold name in Ikorodu. Meeting with the strikers weekly has a huge impact in their Spiritual growth, physically and talent wise, That we have now suspended trainings indefinitely is a challenge for the brand in the sense that coming together has one big family has always given us the advantage over our strikers in order for us to be able to check mate them regularly. But due to directive of the Government to observe this social distancing in the course of covid-19 pandemic, It is in the best interest of our brand and we don’t want to have any one contracting the virus under our watch.
INN: It is good that WODE has taken steps to shutdown trainings and asked everyone to stay home. But there are reports of other dance group and crews still hanging around and doing rehearsals at this time. As a stakeholders in the Dance Industry in Ikorodu what is your advice to every dance movement still Organising trainings?
Mr. Shina: Well, one can only take a horse to the stream but you can not force her to drink from the stream, As a stake holder in the Dance industry and also as world of Dance Entertainment Head of Operations all I want to say to every dancers is……… Please!!! Coronavirus or CoVid-19 is real, We need to stay at home, Follow the social distancing rules and let us play our part in defeating the scourge today. This is not the time for rehearsals, Even the big superstars in the world are on lockdown as we speak, Every social activities has been halted globally from sports to what have you. Don’t be carried away by ignorant attitudes and start spreading it unknowingly. Stay home and stay safe all you dance crew rehearsing at this time of covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
INN: The company has cancelled WODESLAM 2020 slated for April 25th and it also seems other plans has been halted too, For a young growing company like WODE don’t you think it would be hard to drive the car again when this pandemic dust settles?
Mr. Shina: No!!! The word impossibility is not in WODE’s dictionary given references to order event world of Dance Entertainment has achieved without a major sponsor, April 2019 we had wodeslam successfully, June 1,2019 we also held Orange Paradise with no major sponsor to come through, To me God has been at the center of everything WODE Does and I don’t think it would be hard to drive the wagon again because he who drives it (God) has not left the driving seat, Meanwhile we as a team in WODE, We’ve done it before so we can do it again.
INN: Your advice to World of dance Entertainment strikers staying at home now.
Mr. Shina: Every Strikers must Protect themselves! This is not the time for unnecessary visiting or movement, Do what ever you want to do at home at least just for the time being, Everything will be back to normal soon. Always remember that the Board of World of Dance Entertainment Management love you & we don’t want anyone to get sick.
And for every Nigerians, The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is very active so let us all listen to the News always.
May God Bless Us All.
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