Coronavirus: we’ll ensure strict compliance with inter-state lockdown order, says Governor Makinde

Segun Showunmi in Ibadan

The Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said the government will ensure strict compliance with the inter-state lockdown order agreed upon by Governors of the South West States to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Penpushing reports that this was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, which was made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The statement said  Makinde who spoke shortly after inspecting the state’s borders with Ogun State in Bakatari and Dalley towns, among others, noted that although compliance with the order has not been 100%, but the security officers monitoring and enforcing compliance had been doing their best.

Penpushing further reports that,he declared that the state government will make security officers manning the border posts comfortable, adding that compliance in some borders inspected were 100 per cent, while that is yet to be accomplished in others.

“Well, the compliance is not 100 per cent. But with what we saw at those boundaries, the frontline security officers and men are trying their best. Of course, they do have challenges’, he stated.

‘There is no place for them to stay and it is threatening to rain now. Vagaries of weather have been affecting them and we also have to do some certain things to make them comfortable so that they can do their work’.

“Apart from the express road coming from Lagos to Ibadan or from Ibadan going to Ile-Ife, where you have a lot of traffic and challenges, things are a little bit decent at the other minor border posts.”

Penpushing also reports that when asked about punishment the state would mete out to violators of the inter-state lockdown order, the governor explained that the approach would have to be holistic and that there will be discussion with his colleagues in the neighbouring states on the measures to adopt to sanction violators.

“On punishment for defaulters, we are still looking at it. I am a firm believer in holistic approach to issues. If we are asking defaulters to be punished, are we offering any carrot to them? Is there enough enlightenment? I have to discuss with my colleagues in the neighbouring states’.

“We had said that each governor should take charge of the inter-state motor parks in his area because once these are locked down, we will see a lot of reduction in people trying to
move out,” Makinde added.