Despite testing positive, Makinde will do everything to protect state—Group

…says FG should include Oyo in funding, measures to contain disease.

A socio-political group, Oyo Kajola Group (OKG), said on Tuesday that despite testing positive to Coronavirus, it was sure Governor Seyi Makinde would continue to do everything possible to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
The group hailed the governor for immediately making the result of his test open and saddling a former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital (UCH), Professor Temitope Alonge, with the responsibility of leading the Oyo State Covid-19 Task Force.
According to the group, the business of governance in the state will not slow down even as Makinde remains in isolation.
The OKG in a statement by its Media Coordinator, Mr. Adebayo Ayandele, maintained that contrary to insinuations that the Oyo State government “is not prepared” to fight the Covid-19 scourge in the state, Governor Makinde has done everything a proactive leader should do to contain the spread of the disease.
It added that the narrative that Governor Makinde contracted the Covid-19 at a rally held in Ibadan to welcome defectors back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on March 18, 2020, was unfounded, noting that rather, the governor was exposed to the disease following a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), which he attended in Abuja on March 19, 2020.

The group stated that Makinde, like other governors, was advised to go into self-isolation following the confirmation that Bauchi State governor, Senator Mohammed Bala, had tested positive to Covid-19 on March 24, 2020.
“As a responsible and responsive leader, governor Makinde had gone into self-isolation immediately and remained in the state till he tested positive,” the group said.
Besides, the group also advised the Federal Government to immediately include Oyo State on the list of beneficiaries for COVID-19 funding, adding that statistics available as to the spread of the virus in Nigeria shows that Oyo State has the third highest number.
“The President had no reason to sidestep Oyo State in his national broadcast on COVID19. That leaves a sour taste in the mouth but we believe that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari can still redeem itself by immediately including Oyo state in the list of the states to benefit from the COVID-19 funding,” the group stated.
The statement further read: “We in the Oyo Kajola Group (OKG) received the news of Governor Seyi Makinde testing positive to Covid-19 with mixed feelings. We are happy that the governor, a proactive, responsible and responsive leader was not caught napping in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic when the result was announced, as he has put in place all measures to contain the spread of the virus in the state.
“But we are sad that the governor would remain in isolation for a period of time, which will keep him from the centre of action in the battle to keep Oyo State safe. We can only wish him quick recovery so that he can return to the task of progressively repositioning Oyo State.
“However, we noted with dismay the deliberate exemption of Oyo State from the funding and other measures put in place by the Federal Government to assist Lagos and Ogun states in the fight against Covid-19.
“While we are aware that Lagos is the epicentre of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria due to its being the commercial nerve centre of the country with an international airport and seaport, the proximity of Oyo State to Lagos, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases and the number being tracked in the state, make it imperative for the Federal Government to include Oyo State in whatever measures it has put in place to battle Covid-19.
“Though Oyo State is not in contention with Lagos on whatever it is doing or getting in the fight against Covid-19, it is too strategic to be left out.