₦airaland Forum

PRESS BRIEFING BY GOVERNOR SEYI MAKINDE, HEAD OF THE COVID-19 TASK FORCE IN OYO STATE ON APRIL 17, 2020
One of the two positive COVID-19 cases confirmed yesterday, is from Yemetu and the other is a returnee from the United States who is based in Ikolaba.
During the COVID-19 Task Force meeting today, we were informed that two more tests came back positive. So, we have four new cases from the tests being conducted at Adamasingba Stadium. This brings the number of active cases in Oyo State to seven.
It has been our aspiration to test a lot more people and we think as we do this mass testing, we can see the pattern of the virus within our environment and from those results, we can implement appropriate measures designed to deal with the situation.
While the 100-bed Infectious Disease Centre at Olodo is ready to receive cases, we are already upgrading the isolation centre at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. The Maternal and Child Health Centre, Saki is also being converted to an isolation centre.
The General Hospital at Igbo-Ora is being evaluated for a section of it to be used as an isolation centre.
As I stated at an earlier interview, one of the measures we considered to prevent, contain and control the spread of COVID-19 in Oyo State is the compulsory use of face masks in public. Today, we reached a decision to implement this measure.
The Oyo State Government will produce an initial one million cloth face masks to kick start the mask in public places policy for Oyo State. 100 tailors will be commissioned by Monday, the 20th of April, 2020 to make 10,000 face masks each.

Jaeis:
[b][/b]

I just receive my 2nd Negative report on COVID-19, I will like to thank all of u for your suplications. This victory is from God, we thank Him for giving me the opportunity to have the experience which is morethan my education and public service.

Important Clarification on the 3rd #COVID19 case in Ondo.

Infected person is not an @officialnyscng corps member as stated online. Individual was an ex corps member that served in the Barracks and was retained.

Garrieveryday:
Where?

Residents of Kaduna state are living in fears over possible community transmission of coronavirus as the State government yesterday said the sixth case of Covid-19 in the state, a male gateman in Mando area had no connection with the first five cases.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed Baloni, said the man who recently returned from Lagos, had been evacuated to the state’s Infectious Diseases Centre. She said he had travelled to Kaduna in a public transport and had contacted authorities when his symptoms worsened.

“It is very difficult and complicated to trace the contacts of a patient who came from Lagos via public transport and has had some instance of local commuting since his arrival,” she said.

Our correspondent gathered from residents that despite the stringent measures put in place by the Kaduna State government, inter-state travels were still taking place especially from Lagos to Kaduna .

Ibrahim Na Yelwa, a resident of Mando told Daily Trust Sunday that many of the adult male residents of Mando were truck drivers that often travel between Kaduna and Lagos. He said, “my neighbour will also be returning today (Saturday) from Lagos.”

Ibrahima Yakubu, another resident of Mando said the news that the latest case was a residence of Mando had created fear and distrust among residence especially since the identity of the patient had not been made known and his exact location remains a mystery.

“Let me be frank with you, I have already ordered my wife not to allow anybody including neighbours into our home.

This is because no one knows the identity of the gateman or the part of Mando he is from.

Again, we don’t know the calibre of people he has interacted with since his return from Lagos,” he said.

Yakubu described as unfortunate that luxurious buses were still operating discretely from Mando to Lagos likewise from Lagos to Kaduna despite the lockdown.

Despite recording six cases of coronavirus and the latest fear of community transmission residents continue to violate the curfew as inter-state travels between Lagos and Kaduna continue discreetly.

However, our correspondent gathered that even as the news spread through Mando area of Kaduna, residents went about their daily activities without taking extra precaution.

However, Dr Sa’id Zakari, a member of the Subcommittee on Risk and Communication under the State Task Force on COVID-19 said all that government now needed to do was to institute a sense of conscience on individuals to make them see reason why they should take the issue of COVID-19 very seriously.

Dr. Zakari described as unfortunate that people continue to violate the restriction order despite all the measures taken to control people passing through Kaduna such as screening, adding that “It is only when the people see reason why they need to practice these preventive measures that we will all be protected”.

Daily Trust has gathered that more doctors are likely to leave Nigeria as COVID-19 gets worse in the United States of America. Here is a list of 10 prominent people who have won the battle with the deadly coronavirus and are now back to their normal daily activities.

Niger Governor Abubakar Bello has declared the total lockdown of Niger State from Monday April 13th.

This is coming on the heels of the discovery of the first COVID-19 case in the state.

The case, according to the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Muhammad Maikusidi, came from Limawa Area in Minna.

The Governor directed the State COVID-19 taskforce to isolate the area for 14 days.

The Governor also stated that all religious activities should remain suspended till further notice.

The Federal Government has yet to take a decision to provide free electricity supply to Nigerians for two months, the Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman, has said.

The minister’s statement comes after power distribution companies said that the two-month free electricity which they announced on Wednesday would be paid for by the National Assembly and the Federal Government.

Mamman, in a tweet on Friday, said, “No decision has been taken by the Federal Government to provide Nigerians with free electricity for two months.

“If and when that becomes a reality, it shall be announced officially. Be rest assured that the Federal Government is exploring ways to ameliorate any hardship on Nigerians.”

The Discos had announced on Wednesday that they were in support of the proposal by the National Assembly and the Federal Executive arm of government that Nigerians should get two months of free electricity.

Speaking through their umbrella body, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, the Discos stated that modalities for the free electricity would be worked on and made public in due course.

The Discos, however, clarified on Thursday that electricity would be paid for by the Federal Government in partnership with the National Assembly.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has described as ”unfair and baseless” a statement made by Maryam Uwais, special adviser to the president on social investments.

Uwais had reacted to comments credited to Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, on the national social investment programme (NSIP).

Uwais said the comments of the national assembly leaders were “regrettable and unfortunate”.

At a meeting with Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, in Abuja on Tuesday, Lawan and Gbajabiamila demanded a reform of the programme.

While the speaker wondered what parameters the government was using to implement the programme, the senate president said: “I think we have not been able to reach far out there to get them properly captured.”

But in a statement, Ola Awoniyi, special adviser on media to the senate president, said at the meeting with Farouq, the national assembly leaders “made some observations on aspects of the NSIP and recommended that the implementation process be finetuned and the scheme be backed with legislation to make it more efficient, effective and accord with global best practices”.

“Although the official Press Statement issued at the end of the meeting clearly conveyed the deliberations and resolution of the meeting, some misrepresentations appeared in the reports by one or two newspapers,” the media aide said.

“Also, there was no mention of N2 trillion or any amount whatsoever in the statement. Virtually all other media houses published or broadcast the press statement accurately except for the errant reports mentioned above.

“The comments at the meeting were not made to denigrate any official but to make the scheme more effective in the delivery of its critical mandate and these comments were well taken by the Honourable Minister and her delegation.

“The minister was honest enough to admit that the NSIP had some ‘challenges’ and also bedevilled with ‘intrigues’ which she was yet battling with.

“The leadership of the national assembly would not have suggested an enabling legislation for the NSIP if it does not believe in the relevance of the scheme.”

Awoniyi said the misrepresentation made Uwais “to issue a rejoinder containing unfortunate insinuations which were totally extraneous to the discussions at the meeting”.

“We, therefore, take strong exception to the innuendo by the presidential aide that her rejoinder was issued towards ‘safeguarding the entitlements of the poorest of Nigerian citizens, whose benefits are likely to cease because they are not known or connected to NASS members or any other person of influence.’ That insinuation is unfair to the members of the national assembly and entirely baseless,” he said.

The media aide said public office holders should be receptive to constructive ideas and suggestions.

“The leadership of the national assembly is committed to sustaining its cordial working relationship with the other arms of government as it has seen the benefits of this approach in the improved environment and speed of policy and decision making,” he said.

The missing COVID-19 patient from Osun State Isolation Centre in Ejigbo has been apprehended and returned to the centre, The PUNCH reports.

The patient, a woman, was apprehended in Ejigbo town and returned to the facility by the police on Saturday afternoon.

Chief Press Secretary to Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipidan, confirmed the development to The PUNCH.

He said that the patient had been apprehended and returned to the facility.

The Lagos state government has announced the discharge of four coronavirus patients.

Meanwhile, 18 patients had earlier been discharged, after making full recovery from the novel virus.

With this development, Lagos state government has discharged 22 of its 98 confirmed cases,

So far, 190 cases have been confirmed in Nigeria.

24 have been discharged nationwide.

The Osun State Government has confirmed six new cases of coronavirus on Thursday among 127 Cote d’Ivoire returnees that have been tested.

The Nation reports that Osun State had 14 cases on Wednesday which has increased to 20 with the latest development

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamontu, confirmed the six new cases to The Nation on phone, said, “The new cases with the previous case of COVID-19 have turned 20.”.