Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom on Tuesday inaugurated the Local Government Action Committee on COVID-19.
The governor during the inauguration announced his readiness to submit a sample of his blood for testing and promised to make the results of the test public.
Ortom who stated this during the inauguration of Local Government Action Committees on coronavirus held at the new banquet hall of the government house, Makurdi called on his deputy, Benson Abounu who represented him at the National Economic Council in Abuja two weeks ago to also submit himself to test to know his status.
The governor enjoined members of the committee to ensure adequate awareness creation at the local government level.
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He stated that the COVID-19 pandemic requires all hands to be on deck to prevent its spread, stressing that the sensitisation must go to the hinterlands in order to save lives.
He called on the council chairmen who are also chairmen of the Action Committees at that level to collaborate with traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders in their respective council areas to drive the campaign on prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor charged council chairmen to prioritise payment of salaries and directed them to set aside N5 million naira each to fund the activities of COVID-19 in their domains and also attend to any emergencies concerning the virus.
The governor commended the State Chairman of the Action Committee on COVID-19 and deputy governor of the State, Benson Abounu and other members for their proactiveness on issues despite discouraging comments from some members of the public.
Speaking on the controversy that trailed the first index case of the virus in the state, the governor said that the magnitude of the pandemic was beyond sentiments that greeted the controversy.
Also speaking at the inauguration, deputy governor, Benson Abounu, said the committee he chairs has the sole responsibility of sanitising and educating Benue people about preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 and what to do in any suspected case.
He stated that the council Chairmen would head the committees and second class traditional rulers would serve as deputies while Directors, General Services and Administration would be secretaries and other categories of membership cutting across security, civil societies among others.
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