The governorship candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Hon. Adekunle Akinlade in the 2019 election in Ogun State has raised the alarm over the porous nature of the international borders in Ogun, describing them as potential windows to the importation and spread of coronavirus pandemic within local communities.
DAILY POST reports that Ogun, also known as the Gateway State, shares many borders with Benin Republic, having countless illegal routes across four local governments in Yewa.
Last week, some Togo returnees were accosted at the Imeko-Afon border, with three of them testing positive for Coronavirus.
In a statement made available to DAILY POST on Monday, Akinlade expressed concerns that the porousity of borders in Ogun is a bigger danger that is being ignored or overlooked by the state government.
Like the other 101 Local Governments in 21 States bordering the nation, Akinlade stated that Ipokia, Imeko-Afon, Yewa South and Yewa North Local Government areas of Ogun State deserve to be well secured to forestall community transmission of the deadly virus.
He said Nigerians in other neighbouring countries are now returning home in droves through those unmanned routes, because of the global economic meltdown, occasioned by COVID-19.
Akinlade, who is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hinted that many of the returnees may be carriers of the disease, “thus exposing local communities to the virus through community infections.”
While saying it may not be possible to stop them from returning to Nigeria, the former lawmaker, Akinlade tells Governor Dapo Abiodun to engage in a well-structured indigenous public awareness campaign.
With this, he believes the state government will be able to get the returnees to voluntarily submit themselves for screening and test.
He also advised Abiodun to domesticate the entire care process by setting up isolation centres in each of the four Local Governments to encourage trust, adding that the approach will enhance efforts made so far and reduce a possible second wave of the pandemic in the nation.
The statement reads in full:
“I wish to use this opportunity to thank health workers nationwide; scientists, government officials, security agents and philanthropists who are daily expending their knowledge, expertise and resources in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
“It is my sincere hope that this notification will be given the deserved attention by those saddled with the responsibility to act.
“I will like to draw our attention to a possible danger that is being ignored or overlooked. Like the other 101 Local Governments in 21 States bordering the nation, Ipokia, Imeko-Afon, Yewa South and Yewa North Local Government areas of Ogun State are potential windows to the ‘importation’ and spread of Covid-19 in the country. This is because of the porous nature of our borders.
“It is a known fact that majority of Nigerians from border communities live and trade in neighbouring countries like Benin Republic, Niger among others. They cross between those states with ease thus with the global economic meltdown, occasioned by COVID-19, many Nigerians are returning home in their hundreds through those unmanned routes.
“With the uncontrollable rate at which COVID-19 is spreading, many of those returnees may be infected, thus exposing local communities to the virus through community infections. The challenge is that we cannot stop them from returning home.
“However, with a well-structured indigenous public awareness campaign, we may be able to get those returning to voluntarily submit themselves for screening and test.
“This can further be done by domesticating the entire care process and setting up isolation centres in each of those Local Governments to encourage trust.
“It is important that we deploy considerable resources to manage this window because governments, both at state and national levels are struggling to cope as it is.
“This approach will not only enhance efforts made so far, but it will also reduce a possible second wave of the pandemic in the nation.”