“We Have Not Spent N1 Billion On COVID-19” – Oyo Commissioner, Olatunbosun

By Abiodun Ogunrinde, Ibadan

As a contradiction to the news making round that Oyo state government has spent a sum of one billion naira on the fight against the novel Coronavirus, the State government has dismissed
the claim as a fake news saying it should be disregarded by Nigerians and the people of Oyo State.

The Commissioner for Information, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun disclosed today while featuring on BOTTOM LINE, a popular political programme
on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan, the state capital.

He said ‘’Professor Temitope Alonge was only misquoted. He never said the State government
has spent that amount on COVID-19. He was only giving a breakdown of the projection of the State government in that report.”

It would be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde had appointed Professor Temitope Alonge, a
former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan as an acting Chairman of the Covid-19 Task Force Team when
he went on self-isolation after testing positive for Coronavirus. The Governor has since tested negative for the disease and he is back to his
position as the Head of that Committee.

When asked when the Oyo State government will roll out its palliatives, Olatunbosun said the Task Force Team is working assiduously on this and that within the next one to two weeks, people will begin to benefit from this largesse.

He however added that what the State government intends to give out to the people to cushion the effect of the partial locked down in the state is not for everyone but for the poorest of the poor.

According to him “the state government is only targeting the poorest of the poor and the vulnerable in the state. The state government is in partnership with some groups for data collection and that is what is delaying the distribution of this benefits but I can assure you that it is not going to be for everybody. Meanwhile, the state government is still expecting more donation”.

On why the state government did not declare total lockdown, the government spokesman queried what has become of states where total lockdown was declared and enforced.

He said “in Niger and Kwara where the governors declared total lockdown about two weeks ago, what happened eventually? They ended up contracting the virus.

“In Oyo state, Governor Seyi Makinde is magnanimously and giving governance a human face but his magnanimity should not be taken for granted and abused”

He acknowledged the support and cooperation of the religious leaders during this period.