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COVID-19: Oyo govt begins decontamination, fumigation {Photos}
As a way of containing the spread of the novel Coronavirus, Oyo state government has kicked off the decontamination and fumigation of all necessary areas in the State.
According to the state government, the decontamination was one of the steps to control and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the State, adding that corporate entities, owners of business spaces and other identified organisations are expected to carry out a similar exercise on their premises.
In a statement signed on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, who kicked off the exercise on behalf of the governor, informed that the exercise was one of the measures taken to contain COVID-19 in Oyo State.
She added that the Government was leading by example by decontaminating the length and breadth of the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
She said: “We are leading this process today by example by decontaminating the Secretariat. I have been told that some chemicals are in use, but we should not use them carelessly. So, the team is very specific about where they need to decontaminate.”
She admonished all and sundry to cooperate with the Oyo State COVID-19 Decontamination and Containment Project Team in the course of discharging their responsibilities of reaching out to business premises and identified organisations in the State to fumigate them.
“The team will be reaching out to business premises in Oyo State hereafter and all other identified organisations which they believe should be decontaminated.
“We will like to see your utmost support and cooperation with them,” she said.
The SSG, who appealed to all residents of the State to continue to follow all the guidelines issued by the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force on how the disease could be prevented from spreading in the State, said adherence to the directives remained key in the fight against the disease.
“As you have heard from the governor several times, there are many other guidelines given to us, which I will reiterate that we continue to follow.
“We have been told a lot about social distancing. It is very key to us and all over the world in containing the spread of this virus.
“We have also been told that when we need to sneeze or cough, we should use our elbows or handkerchiefs that we can dispose immediately.
“We have also been told that we should not have any gathering of more than 10 people in Oyo State. Remember also that the curfew is still on.
“All these measures are just to ensure that we contain COVID-19 spread in Oyo State,” she said.
She enjoined residents who see signs or have had any contact with a suspected case of COVID-19 to quickly call the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) helplines that had been provided for proper guidance on the step to take.
She also appreciated the professors, students and all volunteers from the University of Ibadan and others, who she said joined hands in the project to decontaminate the Secretariat and the entire State.
She said: “I want to thank everyone of us for the obvious dedication we have shown today, being a public holiday. It is good to have all of us out and ready to kick of this decontamination process. We appreciate you.
“On behalf of the governor, I will like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers today, including professors and students of the University of Ibadan, who have helped us to decontaminate the Secretariat.”
Earlier, the chairman of the decontamination project and a Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Olanike Adeyemo, said that the exercise started 10 days ago and that it was to protect the citizenry from spreading the Coronavirus in the State through decontamination.
Adeyemo said: “It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you here. This is something that started like 10 days ago and I am so proud of the team and what we have been able to accomplish within that time.
“This is not a day for long speeches. All I can say is to encourage us to know that the Oyo State Government is doing all that is required to protect the citizenry and one of these things, in this period, is this decontamination project.”
She noted that decontamination will be carried out whenever it is indicated, even as she commended Governor Makinde for the acumen with which he has been governing the State.
“I want to clarify that decontamination is only done when it is indicated. So, on the contrary to what is being done anywhere else, we are doing what is necessary to protect the citizenry. Like I always say, when you decontaminate, you are not spraying water, you are spraying chemicals. So, we will not do it unless it is indicated,” she said.
She admonished people with land use facilities such as households, pharmacies, hotels, churches, mosques, banks and event centres, among others, to emulate the good gesture of the Government by decontaminating their environment in order to make them safe from this virus.
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
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