Lockdown extension, result of opinion poll–Gov Abiodun

Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun says the one week extension of the total lockdown imposed on the state as part of measures to flatten the coronavirus pandemic is based on the feedback obtained from a public opinion poll conducted by the state government.

The governor who spoke at the Governor’s Office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, while briefing newsmen on the efforts to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, said the extension is necessitated based on non-compliance with the safety measures put in place to curtail the spread of the deadly disease.

His words: “Interestingly, the feedback from you, the people of Ogun state, from the public opinion poll hosted on Twitter, also supported the extension of the lockdown.

“Out of about 6,000 respondents of the online poll, 53 per cent support the continuation of the lockdown whilst 43 pee cent want a review with four per cent undecided.

“Ideally, compliance should be seen as a moral responsibility and civic duty. Let me state that we will not tolerate any form of sabotage in our approach and efforts at flattening the curve of COVID-19 in our dear Ogun state.

“Consequently, in view of the evidence of community transmission and poor compliance with the lockdown measures, we are constrained to extend the lockdown for another week till May 24.”

Abiodun stressed that the state government will continue to monitor the level of compliance with the lockdown measures and incidence of community transmission, expressing the hope to see positive developments that will lead to easing the lockdown.

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He reminded the state citizens that the daily curfew of 8pm to 6am and the ban on non-essential inter- state travel as directed by Mr. President still stands.

The governor warned that his administration would not tolerate the smuggling of people, either indigenes or non-indigenes into the state, stating that anyone found contravening the restriction order will be prosecuted.

Gov. Abiodun reassured that the state government will continue to do what is right for the general good of the people of the state, adding that “but, I must also state that at this time, survival is also a personal responsibility.

“We must join hands to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in our dear Ogun state. As we continue to help ourselves, we must also help one another and help our government.

“The spike in the number of positive cases, particularly in the last one week, is attributable to two main factors. First is the expanded testing capacity, currently at 450 per day, that has enabled us to embark on aggressive testing, especially in the communities with possible high prevalence of infection such as our border communities.”

He said that the aggressive testing has presented the state government with the stark reality that community transmission is on the increase in rural and urban communities in the state.

“In spite of several warnings and the concerted efforts of our security agencies, a number of our people have continued to flout the measures in place to flatten the curve of the spread.

“Some residents still come out in the public without the use of facemasks or use the facemasks in a manner that do not shield their mouths and noses, commercial motorcycles and tricycles riders still carry more than the approved number of passengers of one and two respectively, and drivers of taxi cabs and passenger buses are also culpable in this flagrant violations of the extant guidelines.

“Our markets have also not fully complied with physical distancing and other measures to ensure the markets do not become the COVID-19 transmission centers.

“Between May 4 and yesterday, 108 violators of the lockdown and other measures have been apprehended and prosecuted. They were promptly tried by the newly introduced mobile courts, with some of them made to pay fine whilst some are undergoing community service.

“In the same vein, 517 vehicles, 109 motorcycles and six tricycles were impounded for breaching the presidential directive on curfew within the same period.

“Security agencies also intercepted migrants from other states, who defied the ban on inter-state travels and promptly turned them back at our boundaries with other states.

“We thank the security agencies and the judiciary for the patriotic duties of apprehending, and bringing to justice the violators whose activities are capable of undermining our collective well-being,” the governor added.