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COVID-19: Oyo govt tells civil, public servants to stay off work for two weeks
As part of measures put in place by the Oyo State government to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, the government, on Wednesday, directed civil and public servants in the employment of the state, local governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to stay off work for two weeks.
According to a statement made available on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, it indicated that civil/public servants across all cadres in the state should stay off work as the state studies the situation.
The statement, however, noted that only persons on essential services are allowed to remain on duty for now.
The statement read in part: “The Oyo State civil service will shut down for two weeks from, Friday, March 27, 2020. Only workers rendering essential services will be required to report for duty.“We still have one confirmed case of Coronavirus in Oyo State, the Bodija case, who is receiving treatment at the isolation centre – the Agbami Chest Centre, Jericho, Ibadan.
“Additional numbers have been added to the Emergency Operations Centre’s Helplines. Please call these numbers for any issue related to Coronavirus: 08095394000 / 08095963000 / 08078288999 / 08078288800“The returnee from the USA in Oluyole Local Government Area is still asymptomatic. She has completed her 14-day self-isolation period (March 8-22).
“New guidelines on public transportation have been issued by the Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation to ensure proper hygienic standards and social distancing.
“All transport operators and park managers are to provide at the entrance of their respective parks/garages, hand washing facilities with soap and running water. They are to provide alcohol-based sanitizers in their vehicles for the use of drivers, conductors and passengers. Standing is prohibited in public mass transit buses and there must be a minimum of one seat interval between passengers. Tricycles are limited to three passengers and commercial motorcycles are limited to one passenger only.
“Enlightenment campaigns on Coronavirus in English and Yoruba have commenced in the media. Street to street public announcements using megaphones have commenced in the rural areas.
“We have received reports of a few private schools flouting the directive for closure of schools. A task force from SUBEB, TESCOM and the Ministry of Education have been authorised to take appropriate action against any school flouting this directive.
“Any school acting in breach of the directive can be reported by calling the Emergency Operations Centre Helplines; 08095394000 / 08095963000 / 08078288999 / 08078288800.
”According to the statement, the directive to shut down the state and local government secretariats was coming on the heels earlier directives to close the schools and the ban religious and social gatherings”.
The statement added that a team of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was already in the State to support activities aimed at containing the virus by the government.It noted that the government has put in place all precautionary measures needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the good people of Oyo State.
The statement further stressed that a number of those who have had contact with the index case were already in self-isolation.According to the statement, Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force Enforcement Team and a number of sub-committees have been put in place, while an enforcement committee flagged off activities on Wednesday.
It stated that the surveillance and contact-tracing of some persons who recently returned to Nigerian from different Coronavirus-infected countries have been ongoing, while those who have been tracked are being closely monitored.
The statement further read: “Our Emergency Operation Centre is already fully operational. It will interest the public to know that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has already sent a team of experts that is working in collaboration with our technical team on COVID-19. The area of collaboration covers training as well as the immediate setting up of a Diagnostic Centre that will make testing less stressful while at the same time eliminating the time length between sample collection and results.
“I am also pleased to tell our people that the NCDC team has completed training for our officials who will man the Diagnostic Centre and that the Centre would be ready for NCDC certification by the end of the week.
“Some persons would want to question why we are spending big to put up a Diagnostic Centre. The time lag between the collection of samples and receipt of results make the setting up of the Centre imperative. The experience we have with the index case appears almost frustrating as the sample took hours before getting to the National Reference Centre in Lagos.
“When the Diagnostic Centre is eventually set up, it will make a huge impact in the health infrastructure in place for the management and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Oyo State.
”The statement also indicated that besides locking down the State Secretariat and local governments in the state, the COVID-19 Task Force and other sub-committees have commenced engagement and sensitisation drives around the markets, motor parks and mechanic workshops.
“They are also engaging with other artisans and the message is simple; it is only when you are alive that you can ply your trade or make money,” the statement added.
The statement indicated that the government thanked the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the NCDC and other Nigerians who have positively collaborated with the state government to combat the virus.
The statement, however, admonished residents of the state to stop making frivolous calls to the Emergency Operating Centre, adding that people should only call the centre when they have genuine and serious cases.
A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, has been sworn in as the Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members of the party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo formally assumed office on Friday following the inauguration of the newly elected State Executive Committee members who will manage the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s State Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, marked the climax of the party’s 2026 congresses in the state.
The South-West Zonal Legal Adviser of the APC, Kolawole Majaro, administered the oath of office on Adeyemo and 35 other members of the State Executive Committee.
The executives had emerged through a consensus arrangement during the March 3, 2026 state congress held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, under the supervision of a committee led by Amos Gombi from the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Adeyemo described his emergence as a renewed call to service, pledging to strengthen the party and sustain unity among members.
He appreciated party leaders within and outside the state for ensuring a smooth and successful congress process.
Adeyemo also commended members of the Local Organising Committee, particularly Fatai Ibikunle and Afeez Bolaji Repete, for their contributions to the success of the exercise.
He said, “This new State Executive Committee under my leadership is being put in place to add value and strengthen our great party in view of the challenges ahead.
“We have used the opportunity of the congresses to showcase our collective commitment to unity and harmony as progressives and democrats.”
The new chairman expressed optimism that the atmosphere of peace within the party would be sustained ahead of future party primaries and the 2027 elections.
According to him, the party’s target is to secure 90 per cent of the votes in Oyo State for President Tinubu while also reclaiming the state’s Government House in 2027.
Adeyemo praised the President’s leadership, saying the administration was delivering on its promises.
“President Tinubu is, no doubt, performing beyond our expectations and the best way to appreciate his good work is to retain him in Aso Rock until 2031,” he said.
“Against all odds, the President is pursuing his Renewed Hope Agenda with vigour and passion, while the positive results are being felt across sectors of the economy and national life.”
Other members of the newly inaugurated executive include Taofeek Lamidi as Deputy Chairman, Fatai Adesina as State Secretary, Adekemi Opatunde as Woman Leader, Olawale Sadare as Publicity Secretary, Olalekan Oladejo as Youth Leader, and Remi Adepoju as Organising Secretary.
Also inaugurated were Ajiboye Akinsanya as Treasurer, Sunday Aborisade as Legal Adviser, Tinuade Adigun as Auditor, Lukman Owonikoko as Assistant State Secretary, Fatimah Hassan as Deputy Woman Leader, and Jimoh Osundara as the Leader of Persons Living With Disabilities, among others.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
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