Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Monday, attributed the rise in the number of cases of COVID -19 recorded in the state to disobedience, lack of discretion and reckless disregard for the well being of others, while others are cases of community transmission whose presence in the state were by default.
Akeredolu who stated this during a media briefing in Akure, Ondo State capital, noted that the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 can only be won only if the state borders are impenetrable.
He specifically attributed the five cases of COVID -19 recorded in the state during the weekend to the weak and porous borders in the state, describing the borders as “very porous”
According to him, security agents manning these border have also compromised the trust reposed in them by allowing free entry of people into the state.
Akeredolu said “I wish to draw our attention to three things that are worthy of note in these current situations. Our borders are still porous and heavily compromised.
“Our security agents, who ought to enforce the government’s restriction order are themselves accomplices who abuse the trust placed in them at this critical time.
“Members of the public, upon witnessing this massive compromise by law enforcement agents and other government officials, are thereby encouraged to defy the safety regulations and persist in error”.
Akeredolu called on the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Abubakar and other security agencies in the country to streamline and monitor the movement and operations of their men to prevent needless, avoidable and unfortunate occurrences of COVID-19 spread.
“I also challenge them to enforce stricter compliance of their agents to their operational orders and the same regulations they are enforcing on all Nigerians,” he said
Akeredolu who stated that there were two cases of COVID-19 in the state before Saturday, lamented about the fourth and fifth cases who are officers of the Nigerian Police Force, serving under the Lagos State Police Command.
He explained that the two officers broke through all restrictions and border controls to enter the state even after one of them had been tested in Lagos on Thursday but failed to wait for the results before coming to Ondo State.
He said “the fourth and fifth cases are officers of the Nigerian Police Force, serving under the Lagos State Police Command while the sixth case is a murder suspect who was arrested in Edo State and transferred to Ondo State for a trial of crime earlier committed in Ondo State. The seventh case was a female civilian who snuck into the state from Abuja.
“Meanwhile the eighth case was discovered in Owo and samples taken were confirmed positive late last night”
The fourth case, the policeman, resident in Lagos, upon noticing symptoms of the viral infection, reported at the National Testing Centre, Yaba, Lagos for medical review on Monday 20th April 2020.
Accordingly, his samples were taken while he was told to await his result and further directives in line with established protocols.
On Wednesday 22nd April 2020, exactly two days after the samples were taken, the case, without concluding the test processes and without any medical clearance proceeded on an unfortunate journey to Akure where his family is based.
“This journey was unnecessary, ill-advised and a total disregard for the national regulation which forbids interstate movement.
“It is even more defiant because it violates the total lockdown imposed on Lagos by the Federal Government and the ban on inter-State border movement imposed by governments of the South-West states”
He, however, said that the state government has directed the activation of a wider process to trace, isolate and test all primary and secondary contacts with all the cases while at large in the state, in order to curtail a further spread of the infection through all these cases.
He said “the brief movement of all the cases as stated above shows what will happen if we fail to obey simple rules and regulations carefully crafted to save and preserve our lives.
“It is particularly saddening that these are taking place at a time government is escalating action to prevent such occurrences. In any and all of these scenarios, we are the losers. The level of threat and risk to our lives and those of our loved ones are heightened”.
Akeredolu called on the people of the state to continue to comply with the precautionary regulations against COVID-19 as recommended by the government.
“While we are not unaware of the disruptions and inconveniences occasioned by these regulations, we request the highest level of citizen responsibility, particularly as we face the serious risk of community transmission.
“In specific terms, I ask you, my people of Ondo State to be: more vigilant about existing neighbours and new faces around you; observe the State of the health of fellow citizens, with particular attention to the established symptoms of COVID-19; report any reasonable suspicion to appropriate authorities or special tolls free numbers dedicated for rapid response.
“Encourage one another to be bold and report strange changes in personal health status to the authorities; obey the restriction orders and all social and physical distancing regulations; stay indoors and observe the regular hand washing and other hygiene protocols; wear a face mask in any case of interaction with the public outside your homes.
“Our experience before the new cases at the weekend showed that if we work together, we could defeat the COVID-19 and save our own lives”
It will be recalled that before Saturday, Ondo State had just only two confirmed cases remaining at the Infectious Diseases Hospital.
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