- says FG should include Oyo in funding, measures to contain disease.
A socio-political group, Oyo Kajola Group (OKG), said on Tuesday that despite
testing positive to Coronavirus, it was sure Governor Seyi Makinde would
continue to do everything possible to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the
state.
The group hailed the governor for immediately making the result of his test
open and saddling a former Chief Medical Director of the University College
Hospital (UCH), Professor Temitope Alonge, with the responsibility of leading
the Oyo State Covid-19 Task Force.
According to the group, the business of governance in the state will not slow
down even as Makinde remains in isolation.
The OKG in a statement by its Media Coordinator, Mr. Adebayo Ayandele, maintained
that contrary to insinuations that the Oyo State government “is not prepared”
to fight the Covid-19 scourge in the state, Governor Makinde has done
everything a proactive leader should do to contain the spread of the disease.
It added that the narrative that Governor Makinde contracted the Covid-19 at a
rally held in Ibadan to welcome defectors back to the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) on March 18, 2020, was unfounded, noting that rather, the governor was
exposed to the disease following a meeting of the National Economic Council
(NEC), which he attended in Abuja on March 19, 2020.
The group stated that Makinde, like other governors, was advised to go into
self-isolation following the confirmation that Bauchi State governor, Senator
Mohammed Bala, had tested positive to Covid-19 on March 24, 2020.
“As a responsible and responsive leader, governor Makinde had gone into
self-isolation immediately and remained in the state till he tested positive,”
the group said.
Besides, the group also advised the Federal Government to immediately include
Oyo State on the list of beneficiaries for COVID-19 funding, adding that
statistics available as to the spread of the virus in Nigeria shows that Oyo
State has the third highest number.
“The President had no reason to sidestep Oyo State in his national broadcast on
COVID19. That leaves a sour taste in the mouth but we believe that the
government of President Muhammadu Buhari can still redeem itself by immediately
including Oyo state in the list of the states to benefit from the COVID-19
funding,” the group stated.
The statement further read: “We in the Oyo Kajola Group (OKG) received the news
of Governor Seyi Makinde testing positive to Covid-19 with mixed feelings. We
are happy that the governor, a proactive, responsible and responsive leader was
not caught napping in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic when the result was
announced, as he has put in place all measures to contain the spread of the
virus in the state.
“But we are sad that the governor would remain in isolation for a period of
time, which will keep him from the centre of action in the battle to keep Oyo
State safe. We can only wish him quick recovery so that he can return to the
task of progressively repositioning Oyo State.
“However, we noted with dismay the deliberate exemption of Oyo State from the
funding and other measures put in place by the Federal Government to assist
Lagos and Ogun states in the fight against Covid-19.
“While we are aware that Lagos is the epicentre of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria
due to its being the commercial nerve centre of the country with an
international airport and seaport, the proximity of Oyo State to Lagos, the
number of confirmed Covid-19 cases and the number being tracked in the state,
make it imperative for the Federal Government to include Oyo State in whatever
measures it has put in place to battle Covid-19.
“Though Oyo State is not in contention with Lagos on whatever it is doing or
getting in the fight against Covid-19, it is too strategic to be left out of any
measures being put in place by the Federal Government. Apart from having 33
local governments, 351 wards and over three million people, it is the gateway
to four South-West states, and a part of the North-Central.
“So, the state will have to spend a huge amount of resources to curtail
Covid-19 from spreading and one would think that the Federal Government, which
has the responsibility of covering the 36 states and the FCT, would be
proactive in covering enough grounds and not play politics with the handling of
the Covid-19 situation.”
The Oyo Kajola Group added that it was taking exception to a statement by the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, which called on Makinde to
declare a lockdown in Oyo State or resign his appointment, wondering why the
party could not direct its anger towards President Buhari, who omitted Oyo
State from all measures to fight the virus.
“The APC in Oyo State, by making that statement has once again displayed its
irresponsibility and complete disregard for the people of Oyo State. It is sad
that while the whole world is concerned about the present danger to human
existence which COVID 19 represents, the APC is Oyo is making ill-processed and
thoughtless political statements. “The attempt to politicise something that represents
a clear danger to human existence is to say the least unreasonable, insensitive
and inhuman.”
The group maintained that from information available to it, the Makinde-led
administration has been working on giving palliatives to the people of the state,
especially the most vulnerable and that as a government with human face, it
would only declare a ‘total lockdown’ after it has put in place measures for
ensuring that palliatives are given to the people.
It said: “Fighting this scourge and ending this pandemic demand strategic
actions and not just noise-making. At this moment, a proactive leader should
ensure zero or minimal mortality rate, provide adequate enlightenment to the
citizenry and ensure that preparations are in place to adequately provide for
unforeseen situations in case the number of people affected increases. All
these steps are more important than trying to compete and engaging in
showmanship and Governor Makinde has put all these measures in place.
The statement added: “Governor Makinde is always engaged in establishing
solutions that are homegrown, credible and effective, as well as such that
guarantees effectiveness among our people.
“We are also aware that the government has attracted collaboration from a
corporate organisation, which is putting in place a 100-bed isolation centres
each in two locations in Oke Ogun. When completed, these will take the number
of isolation centres in the state to over 300.
“It should also be placed on record that the collaboration of the state
government with the University College Hospital (UCH) brought about the
establishment of a Diagnostic Centre for COVID-19 in the Virology Department of
the UCH,” the statement added.
