COVID-19: AbdulRazaq mulls labour-civil society border volunteers

Date: 2020-05-12

* Kwara to have test centre soon

* Again, Gov engages CSOs

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has suggested the setting up of a volunteer team drawn from the labour unions and the civil society to complement the efforts of the security agencies to stop the influx of people into the state.

"It has been established that some people sneak into the state between 10p.m. and 5a.m. This poses a grave danger to us when you consider the fact that virtually all our COVID-19 cases were imported. We would like to have volunteers from Labour and the civil society who, working with the security agencies, would man our borders between those hours," AbdulRazaq said during a virtual meeting with leaders of the CSOs late Monday.

The CSOs were represented by Mallam Lawal Olohungbebe of the Centre for Community Development (KWASU); Dr Lateef Alagbonsi of the Elite Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD); Hajia Bilqees Oladimeji of the COVID-19 National CSO Emergency Intervention Group (CEIG); Idris Buko Musa of the Coalition of Kwara North Groups (CKNG); AbdulRahman Ayuba of the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE); Anthonia Oshiniwe of the Theios Caregivers Initiative; AbdulRasheed Sa'adudeen of the Volunteers of Ilorin Community and the Emirate (VOICE); and Saliu Saliu of the Haashim Initiative for Community Advancement (HICA).

The meeting was a follow up to the first engagement AbdulRazaq had with some civil society leaders in April during which he commended them for their "credible roles" in the distribution of the government's palliatives after he invited them to join the initiative.

He said the invitation had been premised on the need to ensure that the palliatives facilitated with public funds get to every Kwaran, irrespective of their affiliations - a first-of-its-kind step the Governor said may have offended political interests.

"We are here to serve the people. We have nothing to hide and that is why we called you to observe and own the process. We may have our doubts and we may disagree on modalities of how to get things done for our people but we must never at any time turn our back against one another," he told the CSO leaders.

AbdulRazaq said he had called the Monday meeting to formally receive a position paper of the CSO on how to further develop the state as well as brief them on the status of Kwara in fighting the deadly virus, adding: "We all need to do more to contain the spread of the virus and prevent community transmission."

He said the government would offer incentives and security cover to volunteers who would form a border surveillance team manning the various entry posts of the state from its western and northern flanks - especially Eiyenkorin, Oko Olowo and Jebba where influx of people has been reported in the past few days.

AbdulRazaq reiterated his call on Kwara communities and individuals to take responsibility as the country struggles to flatten the curve of transmission of the virus amid rising infection rate.

He said Kwara would soon have a testing centre as the NCDC team is expected in the state in the coming days to discuss the issue, adding that there was no use buying rapid test kits whose results would not be recognised.

The civil society leaders welcomed the challenge amid calls on the administration to strengthen enforcement of various regulations put in place to tackle the pandemic.

They observed that some of the issues raised in their position paper recently sent to the Governor have been addressed such as a need to relax lockdown internally, ensure regular payment of the civil servants' salary, and compulsory quarantine of anyone who sneaked into the state.

They however urged the government to look into other areas of concern such as a review of the social investment programme because of paucity of funds, getting accurate data for proper planning, independent COVID-19 fundraising committee, credit facilities for farmers, irrigation, open governance and increased accountability and transparency, and development of a master plan for the state, among others.

Olohungbebe, who summarised the position of the CSOs, commended the Governor for taking engagement with the civil society so serious in a way never seen before.

"We thank you for this engagement. The civil society should not be (seen as) rival to the government. We should be partners. We just want the best for our state. There is no doubting your good intentions for our state but we also urge you to consider the passage of the FOI Bill. Other issues we want the government to look at are farmers' market, off taker policy, and agriculture master plan," he said.

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

May 12, 2020

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Sheikh Ariyibi     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Offa Descendants Union     Oba-Solagberu     Taibat Ayinke Ahmed     Okedare     Obuh     Babs Iwarere     Abdulwahab Oba     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Abdulganiyu Salahudeen     Popo-Igbonna     Saka Isau     Abdulwaheed Musa     Babata     Tunde Yusuf     Hussein Olokooba     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Kunle Okeowo     Goodluck Jonathan     Talaka Parapo     Ilorin Amusement Park     Jumoke Gafar     Abdulraheem Olesin     Bibire Ajape     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     Oke-Ogun     Bio Ibrahim     Dairo Kunle Paul     Salman Suleiman     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Iponrin     Lithium Deposit     Oniye     Balogun Ajikobi     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Lanwa     Rihanat Ajia     SWAN     Hamidu Olowo     A.O. Belgore     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Khairat Gwadabe     Adamu Attah     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Dogara     Ishaq Oloyede     Bature Bello     Arca Santa     Kwara State Governor     Vasolar Consultoria     Yemi Sanni     AbdulRauf Keji     Kunle Akogun     Minister     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Hamza Usman     Agboola Abdulraheem     Kwara NIPR     Nnazua     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Abdulkadri Ahmad Alaiye     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Government House     Alapado     Ilorin International Airport     Yusuf Lawal     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Yomi Adeboye     Lanre Aremu     Abubakar Lah     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Gabriel Fashanu     Riskat Opakunle     Akanji     Dan Iya    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Lawal Olohungbebe     Logun     Gbemisola Saraki     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Tafida     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Earlyon Technologies     LAK Jimoh     Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu     High Court     Segun Abifarin     Basic Education Certificate Examination     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Olabimpe Olani     Kwara State Polytechnic     General Hospital     Musa Alhassan Buge     Stephen Fasakin     Belgore     Wahab Issa     Femi Gbajabiamila     Government House     Salaudeen Oyewale     NFAI     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Shoprite     Ayekale     Idofin     Abdulrazaq Magaji     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Rachael Obisesan     Otoge     Durosinlohun Kawu     Akanbi-Oke     Wahab Olasupo Egbewole     Vasolar-Kwara Company Ltd     Yusuf Abdulkadir     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     CT Ayeni     Oko-Olowo     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Jani Ibrahim     Tunde Saad     Binta Sulyman     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Ajike People Support Centre     KWASAA     Ahman Pategi     Mutawalle     David Oyedepo     Ramadan     Borgu     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Valsolar Consultoria     Gobir Organization Foundation     Valsolar     Dorcas Afeniforo     Transition Implementation Committee     Matthew Okedare     AbdulGafar Tosho     Apaola     Twitter     Farouk Salim     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Baboko Primary School     Omu Aran     Ademola Kiyesola     Oba-Solagberu     Olaiya Victor Mobolaji     Salman Alada     Usman Rifun     Ola Falade     James Kolo     Convocation Ceremonies     Salihu Yahaya