The Oyo State House of Assembly has asked the Governor Seyi Makinde led government to pay attention to the porous nature of the state’s borders and extend testing to those border areas.
The Assembly said this call became imperative in view of the continuos entry of foreign nationals into the state through Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso border of the state.
According to the lawmakers, if unchecked, the people of the state would be made more susceptible to contracting coronavirus, and as such urged the state governor to see to it that the border towns and routes are heavily manned by security agencies.
The lawmakers task the government to step up its efforts in containing further spread while deliberating on a motion by member representing Akinyele 1 constituency, Mr Ayo Fatokun, during plenary.
Fatokun in the motion described the daily infection and death rate statistics across the nation as staggering, urging the state to apply stringent measures to prevent community spread from areas prone to the transmission of the novel pandemic.
In their contributions, Mr Akeem Mustapha (Kajola constituency), Bamigboye Abidoye (Oriire Constituency) and Kazeem Olayanju (Irepo/Olorunsogo) stressed that the state will save itself from a spike in the number of cases if testing is taken away from Ibadan to border towns which host several returning non-Nigerians.
In his remarks the Majority Leader, Mr Sanjo Adedoyin decried the negligence of security agencies resulting in loopholes at the borders and urged the concerned agencies to redouble their efforts in manning the borders.
Also the Deputy Speaker, Mr Abiodun Fadeyi also wondered whether the state is doing enough testing and questioned if the isolation centers, outside the Ibadan, the state capital, are truly functional.
Speaking in light of checking the influx of persons into the state, Mr Isiaka Kazeem (Oyo East/Oyo West) noted the need for the state government to evacuate Almajiris to their respective states.
Noting the hardship presently faced by Nigerians, Fatokun, in the motion, urged the executive arm to urgently distribute palliative and relief materials to the poorest of the poor and the vulnerable in the state.
Toeing the same line, Mr Akintunde Olajide of Lagelu constituency said it was imperative for the state government to distribute wholesome palliatives.
On her part, Mrs Wumi Oladeji (Ogbomoso North constituency) urged Makinde to mandate the caretaker chairmen of local governments and local council development areas to embark on sensitization of the grassroots on adhering to COVID-19 precautions.
Identifying ignorance as a bane of containing further spread of the virus in the state, Mr Seyi Adisa (Afijio constituency) said the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should be to put its established structure to task in sensitizing people at the grassroot.
More imperative for state government, according to Mr Dele Adeola (Iseyin/Itesiwaju constituency) and Oyeleke Simeon (Ogo Oluwa/Surulere constituency), is the need to think of how to sustain the state’s economy post COVID-19.
The two lawmakers admonished the state government to give attention to the agricultural sector by supporting farmers and all others on the agric value chain.
High point of Tuesday’s plenary was the announcement of Mr Kehinde Olatunde as new Chairman of the House Committee on Works and Transport to replace Mr Olamide Akinajo by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin.