COVID-19 | Governors in South West Make Face Masks Compulsory

Governors of the six southwest states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo have resolved that every citizen in their states must from next week Friday wear face masks as a measure to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governors after a virtual meeting that they had also resolved to enforce the closure of all entry points to their states.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, the governors said the compulsory wearing of the face masks would commence from Friday, April 24.

In the statement signed by the Ondo State governor and Chairman of the South West Governors’ Forum, Mr. Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, the governors said “the entry points of our six states be closed forthwith to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

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“That the state governors agreed that people involved in essential services or dealing in medicine, water and consumable items in particular traders and market men/women should endeavour to wear nose masks while outside plying their trade to minimise the spread of the deadly virus.

“The governors further agreed that wearing of nose masks will be made compulsory for everybody coming out of their homes effective from Friday 24 April, 2020 in their respective states.”

Also in the press statement the governors announced the dissolution of the Board of Directors of O’DUA Investment Limited.

They, however, mandated the Group Managing Director of the conglomerate to take charge of the business venture bequeathed to the states by the old Western Region.

The statement reads: “The South West governors at its virtual meeting held on Thursday 16th April, 2020 resolved that “as owner state governors we dissolve the Board of Directors of ODUA Investment Limited with immediate effect. The Group Managing Director should take charge of the conglomerate affairs pending the constitution of a new Board.”

In a related development, the Oyo State government, on Friday, announced plans to produce one million face masks, saying 100 tailors would be trained by experts to make 10,000 face masks each.

Governor Seyi Makinde, who handed down the directive on Friday as part of measures to stop further spread of COVID-19 in Oyo State, also announced that the number of positive cases of coronavirus has increased to 15, with two more tests coming back positive on Friday.

He noted that the two cases came from the ongoing mass testing exercise being done at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

With less than 100 tests done so far, Makinde said the ongoing mass testing and its results will enable the state know the pattern of the virus and take appropriate measures.

He also announced the resolve of the state to increase isolation centres with focus on the state hospitals in Ogbomoso, Saki and Igboora.

Meanwhile, the reopening of the state secretariat has been shifted forward for one more week, with Monday April 27 set as new resumption date for civil servants.

He maintained that even the new date was subject to further extension depending on the COVID-19 situation in the state.

On palliatives, Makinde said distribution was yet to start because the data met on ground would see that palliatives would fall into the wrong hands.

He, however, said the state had now developed its own data that would ensure that only the poorest of the poor got the palliatives.

Noting that the state was crossing the Ts and dotting the Is, he expressed optimism that the distribution of palliatives would hopefully begin before the end of next week.

He also encouraged farmers to keep safe so as to guarantee food security in the state after coronavirus.