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Covid-19: State govt not ready to tackle virus – Oyo NUJ attacks Makinde
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, has declared that the State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde is not ready to curtail the spread of the deadly Coronavirus also known as Covid-19.
The union said that the poor handling of the reports on Covid-19 shows that the Governor and the state government are not ready to tackle the menace.
NUJ raised the alarm over the poorly equipped Covid-19 centres created by the State Government to handle emergencies in the State.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Sola Oladapo, NUJ tasked the state government to enforce full implementation of Stay-at-home order in schools as students were still going to schools on Monday.
Our correspondent who visited some schools observed that some schools have shunned government directive by asking their students to come in mufti.
The union asked Makinde to ensure that public motor parks are quarantined while park managers must ensure that sanitizers are administered to those boarding vehicles.
DAILY POST gathered that the union had on Sunday set up 11-man Committee to ensure accurate reporting of COVID-19 preparedness and to through reporting, draw the attention of the Taskforce to areas inadvertently neglected.
NUJ said that an on-the-spot visitation by some members of the team showed unpleasant state of preparedness.
Some journalists in the state who visited the government designated Centre for infectious disease control which would double as Emergency Operation Centre in Olodo area of the city observed that there was no indication of adequate preparedness on the part of government.
A team who visited the Olodo centre was disturbed that the announced centre was still a ghost land with bushes and access blocked.
“We learnt a team led by Dr Bashir Bello, the State Commissioner for Health visited the facility but didn’t have access as they had no keys. Another member of our team contacted UCH and found that they were yet to get any funding assistance from state government for this pandemic.
“All they have on ground now at UCH is a 4-bedded isolation centre with an empty chlorine tank, non functional monitoring device , no water etc yet the Governor said he has directed funds to be made available but evidences on ground suggest otherwise . The Governor must be on top of this as people are fearful when they know everyone is susceptible.
“At 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo in Ibadan is another isolation centre. No test kit except from Lagos. Medical consumables are inadequate. Staff strength not a cheerful issue.”
The union wondered if the state government was really ready for the task of fighting COVID-19 global pandemic going by its slow response and poor sensitization of the public and enforcement of its order.
“Oyo is one of the biggest states in the country with many porous entries and exits according to the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS). At this time of COVID-19 global pandemic, are we really monitoring these entries?
“Have we extended some of these facilities and designated centres to the various zones of the state to facilitate immediate response to suspected cases. The state government must be proactive to save lives. We gathered that the Oluyole woman suspected to be infected with the virus had on Sunday driven herself to a private hospital after three days of “no” personal contact from government team.
“The Oluyole woman whom the governor spoke about three days ago as a suspected case, has not been visited till this afternoon (Sunday) by any government official. The woman had risen to the occasion and drove herself to a private hospital in Ibadan.
“On Monday, students of some private schools still attended school in defiance to the Government order. Government needs to be firm in enforcing the order. We also feel for the safety of all, Oyo State should declare two days break for workers to stay at home. This is not the time to be complacent. States in Western Nigeria are doing this and the pacesetter cannot lag behind in protecting over 6million peoples. We also feel government should come out about worship in religious centers and enforce compliance.
“The purpose for staying at home is defeated If we order people to stay at home but they converge as multitude in religious centers. Only the living will worship God. We also have information that some expatriates sneaked-in into some private companies in Ibadan such as SUMMAL. The company also has huge number of casual workers.
“How are they ensuring adherence to safeguard measures? Government should be proactive and partner with media organisations to sensitize the public. Government should advise postponement of family functions that will bring more than fifty people together.
“Government actors should not be seen involved in activities such as social events, or functions which can threaten collective resolve to fight the pandemic.
“Health personnel must be adequately protected and insured to be able to give in their best. We need to walk the talk. A stitch in time saves nine”.
Marketers have demanded direct access to Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Dangote refinery, criticising the firm grip of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the market.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the market should be open for all in line with the willing-buyer and willing-seller commitment earlier made by the corporation.
The NNPCL had last Saturday said it was not the sole off-taker of products from the Dangote refinery, adding that the refinery was free to sell its petrol to any marketer.
But a week after the statement, the Federal Government announced that the company would be the sole buyer of petrol from the refinery.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, noted that interested marketers would have to buy the product from the national oil firm through its trading company.
The minister, represented by the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacceus Adedeji, also announced that the Dangote refinery would commence the distribution of petrol to marketers on Sunday with an initial 25 million litres per day.
He said, “I am glad to announce that all agreements have been put in place, and the loading of the first batch of PMS, as already announced by NNPC, will commence on Sunday, September 15, 2024. And from October 1, NNPC will commence the supply of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid in naira.
“In return, Dangote refinery will supply PMS and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid in naira. But for now, PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers.”
Reacting, Ukadike said the market should be liberalised.
“It should be open for all in line with the willing-buyer and willing-seller comments made by the NNPC. We are also looking at how to build our logistics and come up with our price,” he stated.
Also, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, raised concerns over the risks of creating a new domestic monopoly in the oil and gas sector.
Gillis-Harry said, “Right now, even on Saturday, that business (petrol) is going to start rolling out tomorrow (Sunday), we don’t know what the price might be. Nobody has informed us about anything; we are not aware of what the government is doing.
“We don’t know any of the pricing templates yet or the matrix that will bring about the pricing template. We have been asking Dangote or anybody that is in charge of this transaction to be transparent, but somehow, we have not got any of that information.
“We are about to leave NNPC monopoly from importation and now we are also going to have that in a domestic environment, that portends danger for the industry.”
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited on Saturday said about 300 trucks have arrived at the Dangote Refinery ahead of the loading of petrol.
The company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed the arrival of the trucks at the refinery via X.
Soneye wrote: “We (NNPC Ltd) has started deploying our trucks and vessels to the Dangote Refinery to lift PMS (petrol), in preparation for the scheduled lifting date of September 15th, as set by the refinery.
“By the end of today, at least 300 trucks will be stationed at the refinery’s fuel loading gantry.”
Similarly, NNPC said trucks have been mobilized to the refinery ahead of Sunday’s loading.
“In preparation for the Dangote Refinery’s scheduled petrol loading on Sunday, September 15, 2024, NNPC Ltd. has been mobilizing trucks to the refinery’s fuel loading gantry in Ibeju-Lekki.
“As of Saturday afternoon, NNPC Ltd. had deployed over 100 trucks, with hundreds more en route,” NNPC Ltd. wrote on X.
Last week, the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, announced the commencement of fuel production.
Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, has declared the upcoming governorship election in the state “a do-or-die affair”.
The Edo state off-cycle gubernatorial election is slated to be held on September 21.
Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) are the main contenders in the election.
Speaking at the PDP grand finale rally in the Ekenwan area of Benin City, the state capital, Obaseki berated Adams Oshiomhole, his predecessor, for performing below par during his tenure.
“The person I took over from had no respect for our people, had no respect for women, encouraged prostitution and women’s trafficking,” Obaseki said.
“When I took over office, our pensioners wore black on Labor Day, but today they wear white.
“When I took office, our youths had no jobs, but today don’t they have jobs? After eight years, is Edo not one of the safest in Nigeria?
“This election is do or die; if they do, we will die. Next week Saturday by this time, vote for the PDP to become the next governor.”
On Thursday, political parties and their candidates in Edo signed the peace accord to allow for a free and fair election in the state, although the PDP declined to sign the agreement.
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