[08/06, 11:00 am] D GOAL POACHER: Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State , Chief Akin Oke, speaks on why the party is opposed to the partial lockdown of the state as directed by Governor Seyi Makinde and the controversy surrounding the distribution of COVID – 19 palliatives , among other issues.
Why has the APC persisted in the recent call for the enforcement of total lockdown in Oyo State despite Governor Seyi Makinde’ s reasons against the measure ?
Let me make it clear that COVID- 19 is not supposed to be politicised by any right – thinking person anywhere in the world , particularly in Africa where inherent challenges of development have always been the issue. The virus we are talking about is no respecter of anyone regardless of social status or belief . This implies that fighting it to a standstill or allowing it to spread would affect all in one way or the other . According to the World Health Organisation and many expert opinions , coronavirus is an infectious or contagious disease that is transmitted among people through personal contacts . Without a known cure , for now, the good thing is that it can be contained and the best way to do this is to work on how people intermingle or come in physical contact in the society. The Oyo APC, just like many other discerning minds , was advocating for the total lockdown of the state for a specific time to allow relevant government agencies and those concerned to work on the entire population across the state . Come to think of it, we are in a war situation with nature and in a situation like this , allowing daily economic activities to flourish here when other parts of the world adopt the right model of encouraging social distancing is the height of insensitivity on the part of the state government .
The APC at the federal level , as well as the ruling People ’ s Democratic Party in Oyo State , were accused of playing politics with COVID – 19 ; what is your reaction to this ?
That is not true . Our concern is how an end will come to COVID- 19 in Oyo State , Nigeria , and other parts of the world . This pandemic claim lives every moment and this is not something to joke with. The Nigerian Medical Association , Nigerian Union of Journalists and other groups of individuals and professionals have expressed concerns over the poor handling of the COVID- 19 in the state . Are they also playing politics with the positions they took on the matter ? And since we are not planning to go into any election any time soon , I don ’ t think any serious political party that just left power after eight years would condescend to the level of seeking to engage the government of the day in a battle of wits only to score cheap political points . Governor Seyi Makinde and his people can do better than the window dressing they are doing at the moment and we do not owe them any apology over this .
How will you rate the Oyo COVID – 19 Task Force so far ?
There is this aphorism in Yoruba ; ‘ When a man sings poorly , he also listens to it with his ears. ’ At any rate, the end shall justify the means.
The state government said the recent delay in the sharing of COVID – 19 palliatives was to enable it get enough time to get data of the poor residents of the state . How do you react to this ?
I wish them well on that . I can only express my gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his kind gesture which yielded 1 , 800 bags of rice delivered to the state government for onward distribution to the population of the poorest of the poor .
In what ways has the APC supported Oyo ’s drive to curtail the virus ?
We showed serious concerns right from day one . We shut down our state secretariat in March and ordered all our offices in all wards and local government areas across the state with a clear instruction that no member of Oyo APC should engage in any physical political meeting or mobilise people for whatever reason until further notice . Also , it is on record that out of every 10 persons who supported residents of the state with the provision of sufficient education on COVID- 19 and relief packages among other things , nine are members of Oyo APC. Our members and leaders have done so much , not only to create awareness and educate the public on the pandemic , but also mitigate its effects on the people by donating essential relief packages to them with special focus on the people at the grassroots .
How is the crisis between former governor Abiola Ajimobi and the state chapter of the APC being resolved?
We started the move for total reconciliation before the escalation of COVID- 19 but this has been relaxed for now given the need to prioritise getting a solution to the pandemic ravaging the whole world at the moment . But I can assure you that at the end of the day , we will come out stronger to save the state from the current problem of ineffective and inefficient leadership it is facing .
Source: Punch