The Oyo State Government has said that the hope of reopening schools and worship centres in the state soon may not be realistic in view of the prevailing circumstances.
Governor Seyi Makinde made the declaration, on Wednesday, while delivering his ‘State of the State’ address at a special plenary in commemoration of the first anniversary of the state Assembly.
He said the state would not be in a hurry to fully reopen, stressing that the decision being taken was based on the risk analysis of COVID-19 carried out by experts.
He noted, “We have held off from reversing our directive on religious gatherings. We saw what happened when a private organisation did not follow the advisories we provided to the letter.
“Over 50 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in Oyo State can be traced to this organisation. So, I take this opportunity to, again, plead with our religious leaders to be patient with us. We are keeping eye on the numbers and will adjust this directive at the right time. Schools won’t be reopened yet.”
On security, the governor said, “I cannot end this address without giving an update on the issue of security in Oyo State. We are constituting the Amotekun Corps which, as you are aware, will complement the efforts of the federal security in securing our state. Within the next one month, they will be fully operational.
“Once the House of Assembly approves the choice of the Commandant and Chairman, it will be operational.”
On rape and the violation of women and the girl child, he said, “I want to also, at this point, commend the moves by this legislature to review the laws on rape and sexual assault. We all know that one of the best ways to address any type of crime is to strengthen the legislation around it.”
I am on the same page with the governor on this particular one. The schools and place of worship centers should remain close indefinitely in all states of the federation. This will help to reduce the rate at which the disease COVID19 escalates.