The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Oyo State chapter, has urged Governor Seyi Makinde and his aide on Tourism, Taye Currency to make themselves available for Coronavirus test.
This is in reaction to POLITICS NIGERIA’s report that exposed Mr Currency for defying the 14-day self-isolation recommended by the Nigeria Centre for Diseases and Control (NCDC) for returnees from foreign countries.
Mr Currency performed at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Ibadan a day after he returned from the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, SPN in a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA on Friday also said 33 LGA, hotels and unoccupied houses across the State should be fumigated.
The statement, which was signed by the party secretary, Ayodeji Adigun, reads: “Given the level of interaction that is expected to have taken place between Mr Taye currency and the Governor, being his principal and the fact that the Governor also reportedly hosted Mr David Adeleke, a hip-pop musician, popularly known as Davido who is also allegedly a returnee from the UK and currently in a self-isolation after he performed at a show attended by hundreds of youths in Ibadan, we strongly hope that the Governor will take this suggestion so seriously.”
“We condemn the kind of double standard and insincerity demonstrated by the State government towards its order over the effort to curtail the spread of the virus. This has no doubt given credence to the concern and fear recently expressed by the Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ in a press statement where doubt was cast over the readiness of the Governor and the government to give all it takes to curtail the growing spread of the virus in the state. This is asides other issues like the unpleasant state of the isolation centres, lack of test kit and inadequate medical consumables and staff strength.”
“Moreover, we are worried that the health and lives of many youths might have been imperiled by the irresponsible conduct of Davido and Taye Currency, who were supposed to be in a self-isolation, unfortunately with the obvious endorsement of the state government went ahead to organize shows at different occasions.”
“With these developments, we strongly believe that what is more important at this stage, in order to curtail the uncontrollable spread of the virus in the state is to ensure that adequate facilities for the effective conduct of mass testing are provided and accessible in all the 33 local government across the state. This will enable quick detection, isolation and subsequent treatment of any infected person.”
“We also call for an upgrade of all the general hospitals across the state with necessary equipment and recruitment of more health workers provided with adequate protective gear and special allowances in order to ensure effective handling of patients of Covid-19 including critical cases.
“SPN also demand the acquisition of some hotels and unoccupied houses for the use of those with no capacity for self-isolation as well as the provision of water in every community to aid hand washing and distribution of hand sanitizer to ordinary masses”
“We welcome the stay at home order by the State Government including the two weeks holiday for civil servants in order to curtail the spread of the virus. However, we demand that such a directive must also be extended to the private sector without loss of jobs and pay for workers. We also demand a weekly payment of stipends of N10, 000 for every household of other categories of working people who are not salary earners in the state. We strongly believe that all these measures are necessary to ensure full compliance with the stay at home order”, the statement read in full.
