With the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, across the world; and the fears that Nigeria stands susceptible, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has been widely praised for his proactive efforts in putting a rein on its outbreak in the state. Lagos is Africa’s most populous city and Ogun is its closest neighbour.
When the Italian index patient was discovered in Lagos and possible contacts traced to Ogun State, Governor Abiodun rose to the occasion by informing the public that the 28 people who had contact with the Italian have been identified and quarantined and that the firm where he visited in Ewekoro has also been shut down. The 28 people were identified after the state government conducted a contact tracing through the Disease Surveillance Notification Centres (DSNC) set up in all 20 local government areas of the state.
Also, Governor Abiodun said, “We have distributed equipment to medical personnel up to the local government level. We are also currently sharing a specialized app to health workers for easier identification and isolation of persons suspected to be infected. Also, the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, has been designated and empowered specifically to be a DSNC in the case of an outbreak.”
Additionally, the governor has been holding series of meetings with a delegation from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO), as his government continues to take decisive steps towards taming the outbreak of the Corona Virus – COVID-19 in Ogun State.
Governor Abiodun has constantly also given updates about the initiatives of his administration to contain the virus. These updates have come handy as people of the state go about their duties with caution and without fear.
These humane, prompt and proactive measures to control an outbreak and the concomitant spread of the virus that is fast becoming a global pandemic have earned the governor plaudits across the state and beyond. A health and wellness group, Ogun Health Matters (OHM) was effusive with praises for him recently.
Speaking at a programme organised in Abeokuta to sensitize the people of the state, the President of OHM, Dr. Ayo Sorunke, expressed appreciation to Governor Abiodun, saying,
“The government of Ogun State ably led by Prince Dapo Abiodun has shown that it is thoughtful and serious about good governance, especially in the health sector. The panic initially generated by the diagnosis of the Italian national and his trace to our dear state has since been allayed just because the governor is pragmatic and deliberate.”
He said further, “Governor Abiodun’s rising to the occasion and constant updates to allay fears and educate the citizenry to speak to his sense of purpose. The established synergy between him, the governor of Lagos State and the Federal Government is a testament to his openness and sense of purpose.
“This is the reason we have come out to support him in his quest to contain the spread of the virus. We have our members across the state, spreading the governor’s message of assurance to the populace.”
