The Ijesaland lockdown Enforcement Committee on Friday, expressed dissatisfaction with the compliance level of the exercise so far.
This is just as it warned people from other parts of the country living in Ijesaland against flouting government’s directives designed to prevent community transmission of Coronavirus in the State.
It condemned in its entirety the high level of disobedience displayed by some artisanal miners resident in some parts of Ijesaland since the beginning of the lockdown in the areas, insisting that the migrants in Ifewara and its environs in Atakunmosa West Local Government had turned deaf ears to lockdown order imposed on the area.
Government of the State of Osun had last weekend announced a 7-day total lockdown in four local governments in Ijesa axis of the State as part of efforts to curb community transmission of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The enforcement team, which toured Iwara-Ijesa, Iwikun-Ijesa and Ifewara-Ijesa all in Atakunmosa-West local government area, arrested some violators who were later sensitised on the health implications of COVID-19 and the likely effect of their insolence.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mrs. Abiodun Ige, who led the enforcement team, decried the way and manner the migrants residing in the areas flouted government’s directives.
She lamented what she described as gross disobedience of government’s directives, saying the suspected migrants were carrying on as if there was no lockdown in Ifewara and its environs.
Ige who expressed fear of the implications of the conduct of the migrants in the town noted that if urgent action was not taken, such an act might jeopardise the fundamental reason the lockdown was imposed.
She warned the defaulters to desist from taking government’s directives for granted, saying there won’t be any preferential treatment in the enforcement of rules.
“It is unfortunate that despite the lockdown, some people from other parts of the country still flagrantly opened their markets and engaged in open buying and selling activities.
“As you can see, we met them here in the market selling and buying as if there was no lockdown. Many of them didn’t observe safety protocols. They didn’t wear nose masks and they didn’t maintain social distancing as directed by the government”, she added.
Meanwhile, the Government of has confirmed that its Secretary to State Government (SSG), Prince Wole Oyebamiji, has tested negative for Covid-19.
Similarly, 21 other patients have also tested negative and have all been discharged.
The State however announced the discovery of 23 additional cases in the State, saying they were contacts from previous cases in the State.
The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, made the announcements in a statement on Saturday morning in Osogbo.
It will be recalled that the SSG had about 10 days ago tested positive for the virus. But by Friday evening, the confirmatory test carried out after days of care and treatment returned negative, Dr. Isamotu further revealed.
He disclosed that some of the staff of the SSG who had previously tested positive were among those who tested negative.
The Commissioner appealed to citizens and residents of the State to always observe all the precautionary measures laid down by the State against the spread of the virus.
He also revealed that with the latest development, the number of confirmed cases in the State has risen to 233 with 116 active cases, adding that the State has successfully treated and discharged 110 patients, while seven deaths have so far been recorded.
