Ogun: Abiodun vows to ban operation of Okada

…Threatens to arrest, prosecute viewing centres operators

Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has vowed to effect immediate ban on the operations of commercial motorcycles, otherwise known as okada, in the state if the operators continue to flout the health measures put in place to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

The governor also threatened to arrest and prosecute any operators of viewing centres that contravened the lockdown order, saying that both the operators and viewers will be prosecuted if caught.

Prince Abiodun, who stated this while addressing journalists on the update on the fight against the spread of coronavirus pandemic, frowned at non-compliance with the rules by the commercial motorcyclists threatening that the state will not hesitate to ban all okada motorcycles from operating in the state.

“We observed that Okada motorcycles are breaking this law and we will not hesitate to ban all Okada motorcycles from operating in our state if our resolve is further put to test,” he said.

The governor, while lamenting the spread of the virus in the state, said as at Monday, 15th June, 2020, “the state had recorded a total of 586 positive cases as against a total number of 316 on the 4th of June, an increase of 270 or over 85% in just 14 days.

“Put more succinctly, the number of cases recorded from the first index case on 27th February to 4th June – a period of 98 days – has almost doubled in just 14 days.

“On the positive side, a cumulative total of 315 patients have been successfully treated and discharged, representing 54% of the total positive cases.

“This number stood at 168 in my last update on Friday, 5th June, indicating a discharge of 147 in the last 14 days. Within this period, we have painfully recorded an additional 6 more deaths, bringing the total to 15, an increase of over 66% compared to 9 as at the last update.

He lamented that the community transmission is on the increase, adding: “Aand regrettably, in spite of the spirited efforts of the government to create awareness about the deadly nature of the pandemic and the guidelines in place to flatten the curve of the spread, the compliance level of our people is still very much below expectation”.

“Many are yet to appreciate that there is a new normal that demands a new way of life that is not optional and is also an individual responsibility in the final analysis.

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“I wish to emphasise that the figures of the dead from COVID-19 related complications or the sick may appear to many as just mere statistics, but to those who are directly impacted, these are not just numbers, but caring spouses, loving fathers or mothers, sisters, brothers and cherished relatives.

“The intention here is not to scare us, but to drive home the point that COVID-19 is real, and we have a collective and individual responsibility to work together to tame it – through compliance with the guidelines.

“The challenge posed by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is multi-faceted. Apart from the generally known facts that there are no vaccine or cure yet, the trajectory of the spread of the virus is also a moving target, despite the best efforts at arresting the spread of this highly infectious and deadly enemy”.

Speaking on the opening of worship centres, the governor said “we are consequently suspending our initially slated reopening of places of worship”.

He said the decision was based on the advice from religious leaders.