A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Mr Adesola Gold Adedayo, has identified stringent closure of borders and restriction of inter-state movements as the easiest ways to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Adedayo appealed to the 36 state governors to put up strict border closure strategies that would restrict movements of persons across borders to safeguard the lives of the people.
Adedayo, ex-Executive Assistant, office of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Osun State, spoke in Osun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Friday through his Personal Assistant, Femi Odukola, after distributing cash gift to 300 widows, aged and others in the area.
The beneficiaries were residents of Ilejemeje, Moba and Ido/Osi Federal Constituency of Ekiti State who were adversely affected by measures put in place to rid Ekiti of coronavirus.
Revealing that the upsurge in the number of cases of Covid 19 patients in the country was terrifying, Adedayo said border closure remains the best remedy to tame the spread of the deadly disease, in view of the obvious fact that the government cannot lock down the economy eternally.
The APC stalwart saluted Governor Kayode Fayemi for being proactive and strategic in the fight against Covid 19, saying this accounted for the minimal level of spread in Ekiti.
He said: “Since Covid 19 pandemic started manifesting in Nigeria, Governor Kayode Fayemi has demonstrated his capacity for good governance by quickly closing down the churches, mosques, markets, borders and other sectors of the economy.
“Most exhilarating was the fact that the Governor also set up a Task Force and Fund Mobilisation Committee that had generated over N631 million to fight COVID-19.
“To demonstrate its seriousness to contain the disease, those who defied the closure in Ekiti State were punished and a sum of N2 million has been generated through fines imposed by courts on lockdown offenders.
“I have that unwavering belief that with watertight border closure by states, the government can go ahead and unlock the system for business activities and COVD-19 spread would still be minimal in our country.”
Adedayo averred that the palliatives distributed to his constituents was a gesture targeted at cushioning the effect of the ongoing lockdown on these highly vulnerable individuals.
He admonished the beneficiaries and other residents of the state to keep to all guidelines stipulated by government like regular handwashing, use of sanitisers and face masks as well as physical distancing to prevent the escalation of the disease.