• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Oyo steps up on preventive measures at parastatals

OYSG releases N500M to avert flood disaster

Oyo State government has embarked on some preventive measures against the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) at its parastatals, such as Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board and Oyo State Road Transport Maintenance Agency, in Ibadan.

This is coming as Governor Seyi Makinde admitted his government had a ‘lapse in judgment’ after a rally held on Wednesday in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Makinde, who was part of a mega rally held by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibadan, said, “I have received your complaints about the rally that was held on Wednesday and I feel obligated to state in clear terms that we acted based on the information we had at that time. In retrospect, it should not have happened and I take responsibility for that lapse in judgment.

“Between yesterday and today, a lot has come to light in Nigeria regarding COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus Disease, which has been ravaging the world for the past few months.

“My dear good people of Oyo State, it has become imperative to communicate directly about the COVID-19 situation in the state, and the measures that the Oyo State Government is taking to ensure the prevention, containment, and control of this disease”.

Meanwhile, the executive chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Nureni Adeniran, had distributed over 1,500 hand sanitizers to staff members and guests at the board.

Speaking during the distribution exercise, he said the measures would help keep away coronavirus among staff members of the board, while he called on visitors, staff members, and other stakeholders to adhere strictly to precautionary measures to safeguard themselves.

“We call on everyone to please remain alert and calm during work hours, and please kindly adhere strictly to our precautionary methods to safeguard us,” he said.

Adeniran added that the new measures will ensure that visitors at the Board are sanitised properly before they are attended to and ensure that a high level of hygienic procedures is followed at the Board.

He affirmed that the Board had taken proactive steps to ensure pupils in public primary schools are safe from the virus, adding that the State Government is striving to curtail the spread of coronavirus pandemic in schools and the public.

Therefore, he called on teachers and parents in the state, to ensure pupils under their care maintain basic hygiene steps, by washing their hands regularly and that they play safe.

However, following the spread of Coronavirus pandemic across the country, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) has begun full enforcement of the Operation-one-passenger, which mandates commercial motorcyclists to carry one passenger.

The enforcement exercise also prohibits commercial cab drivers from transporting more than a passenger in front seats, while tricycle riders are not expected to take any passenger in front seats.

Executive Chairman, OYRTMA, Akin Fagbemi posited that the enforcement became necessary considering the rapid spread of the virus, adding that the exercise would mitigate the easy spread of the deadly coronavirus.

He said, “As a government agency in charge of transportation of goods and services across the State, it is not only imperative we make this move to prevent avoidable road crashes, but also to reduce body contacts and exchange of body fluids which aids the easy transmission of this deadly virus”.

Speaking with stakeholders, Fagbemi enjoined them to brace up, take proactive and stringent steps to curb the spread of COVID-19, by sensitizing commercial vehicle owners on the need to take precautionary measures such as the use of protective hand gloves, nose covers, and crash helmets.