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COVID-19: Ondo shuts motor parks, discharges 5 patients

COVID-19: Ondo shuts motor parks, discharges5 patients

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By Kola Afolabi & Saheed Ibrahim

Faced with unabated influx of migrants from other parts of the country into the Sunshine state, Ondo state government has directed that all interstate motor parks across the state must henceforth be under lock and key.

This directive was given as the activities of interstate commercial drivers were circumventing the efforts of the state government in keeping migrants out of the state in order to checkmate the smuggling of coronavirus infected people into the state.

Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Transport, Mr. Tobi Ogunleye, made this known while briefing newsmen at the Ministry of Transport, Akure, yesterday.

Ogunleye explained that despite the ban on interstate movement, road transport workers were still conveying travellers in and out of the state.
In view of these obnoxious activities, the SA to the governor stated, “It becomes imperative now that all the drivers’ unions; whether National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and every other associated unions, should place their interstate parks under complete lock for us to be able to identify those who are actually waging war against this state.”

He also reiterated the commitment of the state government to ensure that everybody living within the state must comply with the compulsory use of nose masks in public places and also adhere to all the measures put in place to curtail the spread of the virus.

Additionally, the SA revealed that the state has observed with dismay the manner at which motorists flout extant and associated traffic rules and regulations in the state, therefore directed all traffic officials in the state to double their efforts and enforce compliance.

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Ogunleye reiterated that enforcement officers must ensure that motorcyclists and commercial motorists across the state adhere to all directives and specifications given by the government in taming the spread of coronavirus.

“We are in a serious emergency period. Emergency does not connote lawlessness. Rather, it is a situation where additional responsibilities are given to the citizens with the extant laws.

“But we viewed with greatest dismay that people were hiding under emergency situation to brazenly breach and violate even the existing laws without any regard to the associated rules and regulations with the COVID-19.

“We have done a bit of sensitisation, education, socialisation and even demonstrative enforcement for the willing society. Instead of appreciating the good gesture of the government to curtail the spread of COVID-19, our people kept the rules and regulations in disobedience.

According to him, the government of Ondo state has done enough. If the security agent had done their job very well, we would have had lesser problems. But the more the government is fortifying the boundaries, the more we are having illegal migrants.

“It is going to be a disservice for you to assist any erring transporter who has violated the rules from Abuja and has got himself into Ondo state with just a thin line to cross to the other side for you to assist him to cross. Rather, it is part of our responsibilities to send them back to Abuja.

“We have been in talk with our neigbouring states, especially Osun, but the report we are getting is not palatable. We told them if any vehicle is coming from Lagos and gets to Owena Osun, they should not assist them to cross to Ondo state; they should be sent back to Lagos. We want to keep our own side of the obligation.

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In a related development, five more COVID-19 patients at the Ondo state Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Akure have been treated and discharged.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Donald Ojogo, who announced this yesterday said the development brought to eleven, the total number of such treated cases.

“Against this backdrop, only four active cases are currently being monitored in accordance with prescribed globally-accepted protocols at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH)”, he added.

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COVID-19: Ondo shuts motor parks, discharges 5 patients

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