Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Monday, said the state will not be locked down totally during the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of the stay-at-home order necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Makinde made this declaration while speaking during a telephone interview on a radio station in Ibadan, Fresh FM, while giving update on COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
DAILY POST gathered that the state government had received over 290 million naira and relief materials worth over 50 million naira from philanthropists to cushion the effect of the coronavirus on the people of the state.
Our correspondent had earlier sought reactions of the public and some stakeholders who berated the government over its failure to distribute the money and materials received so far.
But, Makinde, while reacting during the radio program monitored by DAILY POST in Ibadan, said that the state had concluded plans to distribute the items this week.
He, however, added that the distribution will be done simultaneously across the 33 local government areas in the state.
“It will be done simultaneously in all the local governments this week but there won’t be a total lock down for the purpose as suggested by the committee in charge.”
Makinde also explained the reason why the state Secretariat was opened to business despite the covid-19 pandemic saying it was to strike a balance between the physical health and the economic health of the state.
He stressed that those in this cadre have their separate offices and meetings will be held on-line while visitors will be restricted so that all precautionary measures will be taken.
The governor reminded his listeners that workers got their salaries last Friday 24th of the month and some people will have to do the work.
He recollected that when he tested positive, all the people around him were tested and out of thirteen, only one tested positive.
“The same method is used to ascertain potential carriers when we see somebody positive”.
Makinde added that he had approved a package for health workers volunteers and that some of his Special Advisers are already working out the modality to manufacture the materials locally which obviously would be one of the gains after the pandemic.
He said that all avenues are being exploited not to put the people at risk including the use of technology.
He insisted that if any community is found suspicious to harbour the pandemic, the government would not hesitate to lock down the community.