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Oyo Covid-19 emergency: Between public health and sophomoric politics | By Olusola Sanni
If anyone was in doubt about the notion that the people remain the centre-piece of the Seyi Makinde’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in Oyo State, the method and manner the state government has adopted to respond to the emergency situation arising from the Covid-19 pandemic should clear such doubts.
Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease and it has claimed many a life across the globe. There are 11 confirmed cases of the disease in Oyo State, with seven victims being fully treated – including the governor himself.
Just about the time that the disease broke out in Nigeria, the Oyo State government took a proactive step by promptly being one of the first states to set up a diagnostic centre at the University College Hospital in Ibadan. It also provided isolation centres in Ibadan and Ogbomoso, while the government, in partnership with a corporate organization, is also setting up 100-beds isolation centres each in Saki and Iseyin. As a proactive government, the Oyo State government has perfected plans to set up isolation centres in all the five administrative zones of the State, with the four-beds isolation centre also due to be expanded.
The State was able to do achieve the feats on setting up a diagnostic centre and isolation centres even at a time when Lagos State, which is the epicentre of the disease in Nigeria, was still grappling with getting grants from the federal government to put up a diagnostic centre.
What is commendable still is that the diagnostic centre in Ibadan remains the only in the country that was put in place by any state government without grants from either the federal government or any international donor. That goes to show how proactive the Makinde government is.
Again, while other states are busy promulgating laws on how to effect a full lockdown without any sign of concern about how that decision could affect the daily livelihood of the common people, the government in Oyo State took a different course. It is very easy and fashionable this time round for governments to decree a stay-at-home order to the people.
It is the standard procedure that governments in the Western hemisphere employed in order to flatten the curve of the spread of Coronavirus infection. But be that as it may, there is no single government from Beijing to Madrid that has caused a lockdown of their streets without a provision of palliatives for the people.
This is even more so in those countries where governments have a credible data on individuals’ businesses and returns.
In Nigeria on the other hand, many state governments have joined the bandwagon of a total lockdown not minding how that action would affect the daily living of the people.
It takes just a stroke of the pen for any governor to sign a law prohibiting people from looking for their means daily survival. But the people, who will be at the receiving end of that policy, would go through a lot of hardship to keep families whose only meal of dinner is dependent on their daytime toils. It is not even surprising that some inconsequential politicians of the opposition bulk have launched a barrage of attacks on Governor Makinde for not effecting a total lockdown of Oyo State, attacking the governor on account of his concern for the economic wellbeing of the people.
What those opposition politicians fail to remember is that unlike when their party was in government few months back, the new administration in Oyo State thinks of the people first. That is why the new government is very quick to constitute a diagnostic centre to make sure that the people of Oyo State who may get infected with the disease wouldn’t have to scamper for a facility elsewhere before they get diagnosed. It is obvious that the concern for the people is the reason why Governor Makinde is employing a partial lockdown as well.
And, in any case, there are quite a number of economic consequences that would trail a decision to cripple business activities in a state like Oyo. Apart from the fact that 75 per cent or more, of businesses in the state are largely subsistent, a state government that is embarking on an aggressive campaign of increasing its internally generated revenue figure wouldn’t make an arbitrary order shutting down businesses just because everyone else is doing so. There are 11 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 infections in the State, with seven already testing negative and no record of death. If, God forbids, the figure hikes to more concerning proportion, perhaps then, the state government could consider a total lockdown. But the statistics as of today does not reasonably justify such an extreme, obnoxious measure.
In the one week that businesses open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., there was no single case of reported infection in Oyo State. No one can conclude, therefore, that ordinary people who go about their businesses are the cause of any spread of the disease. So why would anyone advocate for a total lockdown to punish the people when the realities on the table don’t support such action? In fact, the two new cases that Oyo reported last week were those of a returnee from UAE and a close relation of an existing case of the infection. That goes to show that the Covid-19 Task Force in the state is on top of its game on contact tracking.
Across the city of Ibadan, people comply strictly with instruction on washing their hands regularly to such commendable extent that most households even have buckets of soap water and water at their entrances. Almost everyone goes about with hand sanitizers and the state government continues to make public notice announcements on social distancing.
In addition, the state is mulling the idea of promulgating a law that would provide legal framework to guide operations during the Covid-19 emergency.
The state’s Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo said after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Tuesday said that the executive council discussed the establishment of Oyo State Coronavirus Disease Emergency Prevention Regulation 2020. The law will enable the state government to have the legal framework for making the order for social distancing and the regulation of movement of transport system within the state.
The law will also check law enforcement agents in the way they deal with people in a manner that will guarantee their constitutional rights.
These are social safeguards that the Makinde government has put in place to ensure that the spread of this dreaded is contained in Oyo State while at the same time, the economy of the state is not put in jeopardy.
It is, therefore, reprehensible for one colourless politician or a political party to turn this whole thing about the Coronavirus emergency into an enterprise where they seek to make some political gains.
Olusola Sanni, a public policy analyst writes from Ibadan
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
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