Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that the state would be in total lockdown for the next 14 days starting from April 18th.

Abiodun, who gave this declaration on Tuesday, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, urged the people of the state to take advantage of the current window relaxation of Wednesday 15th and Friday 17th of April, to restock on foods and other essential items to cover the period.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his nationwide broadcast on Monday night, extended the lockdown directive on Lagos, Ogun states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for another 14 days, as part of ways to contain the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.

Abiodun, in the statement on Tuesday, commended the Federal government’s efforts at combating the virus which had hitherto claimed lives in the country.

He appealed to the residents of the state to endure the 14 days extension of the lockdown, noting it remained the only way to defeat the deadly virus.

The governor also reiterated that all borders leading to the state would remain closed.

“We must deny the virus the vital supply chain required to decimate humanity by complying with all the social distancing measures and maintaining personal hygiene.

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“The current window of relaxation of the lockdown in the state from 7.00a.m to 2.00p.m, which follows the same pattern of last week, will still be available for this Wednesday (15th April) and Friday (17th April, 2020) only.

“This is to allow the residents prepare for the extension of the lockdown and restock on food and other essential items,” the governor stated.

Meanwhile, Abiodun said that the state would commence strict enforcement of wearing face masks in the public, submitting that wearing of masks would help curtail the spread of the virus.

He noted that the pandemic had created an unusual challenge to strike a delicate balance of need for public safety and welfare of the citizenry.

He further assured that his administration remained committed to its responsibility of protecting lives and property in the state and the welfare for the people.

The governor, however, announced that the stimulus package distribution mechanism had been reviewed to make it more effective and efficient in the delivery to the target population of the elderly, the poor and vulnerable.

“The new mechanism has incorporated the learning from the experience of the first phase while we assured the citizens that the materials would get to the deserving households sooner than later,” Abiodun emphasised.

While confirming that relief items had so far been distributed to over 60,000 households of the elderly, the poor and vulnerable in the state, covering about 300,000 individuals, the governor said that the next phase of distribution to additional 80,000 households of estimated 400,000 people across the 236 wards would commence soon.