Makinde Must Do More to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Oyo State

By Joseph Sangosanya

In his eleven months in office, the relatively politically naïve elected governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has endeared himself to the citizens of the Pacesetters State at home and in diaspora and Nigeria at large. The governor and his first term counterpart in Borno State, Governor Babagana Umaru Zulum have been touted as the best governors in the country at present.

Makinde, regardless of being a first term governor who has never held any political office before has shown that he is a man of the people. His policies in education, poverty eradication, workers welfare, human capital development, health, infrastructural development and fiscal policy have been pro-masses and commended.

No wonder the state stood still when he recently tested positive to the novel coronavirus disease. He was the first to announce that he was positive leaving no room for rumour mongering. Everyone in the state and beyond stood behind him and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Alas, like miracle, the governor declared that he was negative after series of tests. This miracle happened within just a week. The Governor had claimed that he fought the coronavirus with carrots (Daucus carota), Vitamin C, and Black Seed (Nigella sativa) oil with honey while in isolation. He further stated that all he did during the isolation was to boost his immunity and used the period to engage in regular exercise on the treadmill.

The claim by the governor had generated controversies around the country among scientists and non-scientists alike. The treatment claimed by the governor had not been proven by any established medical or health research institute.

On February 27, 2020, Nigeria recorded its first case of the pandemic, the first confirmed COVID-19 case in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Nigerian government, the index case was an Italian man who had entered the country on February 24 through a Turkish Airlines flight from Milan via Istanbul. He was later treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos and subsequently discharged after treatment and recovery.

Today, Nigeria has gone to have more people infected. As at April 10, Nigeria has 5,000 Total Tested Sample with 305 Confirmed Cases, 58 Discharged and 7 Deaths cutting across 19 different states. Nigeria appears to be doing well in the containment of the spread of the disease given the global and Africa figure of confirmed cases, discharged and deaths. Global situation report indicates that more than 1,521,252 have tested positive to the pandemic coronavirus with over 92,798 deaths recorded.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, the agency responsible for responding to the challenges of public health emergencies and to enhance Nigeria’s preparedness and response to epidemics through prevention, detection and control of communicable and non-communicable disease have been very active since the country recorded the first case of the deadly coronavirus disease.
Today, the Pacesetter state has 11 confirmed cases of the disease. Its neighbouring Osun state has the third highest confirmed cases in Nigeria with 20 while Ogun state has 7. Lagos state still leads with 163 confirmed cases and the Federal Capital Territory has 56.
President Muhammadu Buhari in his nationwide broadcast on the coronavirus pandemic declared a total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for an initial 14 days period with a possible extension if need be. The lockdown is still in effect. This is all aimed at preventing further spread of the disease in the country.

The World Health Organisations, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other health bodies across the globe have prescribed washing of hands; keeping social distances; avoid touching of eyes, nose and mouth and contacting healthcare officials when feeling unwell among others as preventive measures.

In addition to the above preventive measures, the campaign of “stay home, stay safe” has become popular as it has been considered as the best way to prevent the disease. This is where Governor Seyi Makinde failed majority of his followers let alone his government’s ardent critics.

While we thank God for the life of Seyi Makinde alias “Baba Alagbo” for his unprecedented speedy recovery from the coronavirus disease, however, his voodoo treatment should not be taken serious by anyone. Today, the World Health Organisation and other developed nations have confirmed that there is neither vaccine nor cure for coronavirus yet; however, the symptoms can be treated.
The signs include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties while in more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.

Scientists are currently looking at existing drugs that have been used to treat similar viruses in the past like the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) while the race to find a new drug or vaccine to treat COVID-19 is still in progress. Although, Chloroquine which over the years had been used to treat malaria is one of the drugs being studied while some are already administering it on some COVID-19 patients.

As it is settled that there is no cure for the disease yet, the best to do by any rationale government is to prevent it. After all, the age-long adage says that prevention is better than cure. Therefore, the best Governor Makinde can do for the good people of Oyo state is to help in preventing the spread of the disease especially at a time community infection is growing in the country.

Other serious state governments have declared a total lockdown. Examples include Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, Katsina, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti among others. Among these states; Plateau and Nasarawa states have no positive case. They are only protecting their states against the outbreak.

Ogun, Osun, and Lagos states are direct neighbours to Oyo state. Lagos and Osun sit comfortably in first and third positions on the table of COVID-19 cases. This poses a greater threat to Oyo state that still opens its borders to intra and inter-state vehicular and human movement.

The state has witnessed an obvious and flagrant flouting of the governor’s order which has led to substantial non-compliance with the 7pm to 6am curfew order. The state government should be worried about the flagrant disobedience of the curfew order especially in densely populated areas like Sabo, Beere, Oje, Oja Oba, etc.

The state government must as a matter of urgency and necessity embark on public enlightenment on COVID-19 as it appears that the residents of the state still lacks the basic understanding of the danger the pandemic poses in the state.

Also, the government needs to work on the state’s isolation centre and equip it as quickly as possible so that the facility can effectively take care of emergencies.

The governor should also show leadership during this pandemic period. The state was completely rudderless when the Governor was on isolation. The Deputy Governor was completely silent and lost. This simply suggests that the Governor and his Deputy are not on the same page. This is unhealthy at a period like this. One would have thought that the Deputy Governor would take charge and coordinate the Committee set-up by the state government that would be briefing the citizens on the effort of the state to combat the pandemic.

For the sake of humanity, Makinde should shut down the state as a matter of urgency and make the committee more effective and proactive.

Sangosanya is the Executive Chair, Christian Foundation for Social Justice and Equity

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