Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has extended order restricting movement in Osun State for another 14 days.
The restriction was put in place to curtail spread of deadly coronavirus pandemic in the state.
Addressing Osun residents in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday April 14, 2020 Mr Oyetola disclosed the new lockdown order takes effect from midnight of Thursday, April 16, 2020.
Osun state ranked among states with highest numbers COVID-19 patients with 20 confirmed cases.
The governor’s speech is reproduced below…
My dear good People of the State of Osun, in order to ensure a total defeat of Coronavirus in our State, we have decided to extend the ongoing lockdown by another 14 days which will commence midnight of Thursday, April 16, 2020.
However, to allow our people to re-stock, the lockdown is suspended between Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th April. All markets & land boundaries remain closed during the suspension of the lockdown and the lockdown period. Also, the ban on all public gatherings remains in force.
No doubt, we’ve all sacrificed to get us where we are. However, the circumstances of our situation do not support the suspension of the lockdown at this period. The application and implications of half measures are dangerous and grave at this critical period.
The decision to impose the initial lockdown on the State was a painful one, but its outcomes have proven that we took the best decision as no new case was recorded during the two-week lockdown period. All thanks to your cooperation and support.
We are aware of the negative effects of the lockdown on our fragile economy. But as a responsible government, we’ll not sacrifice the lives and security of our people on the altar of economy. The experience of the last few months is not one we would wish to repeat but it is better for us to deal with this deadly enemy once and for all.
To cushion the effects of the lockdown, we shall continue to provide palliatives to the needy and vulnerable people in the State. To this end, we’ll soon begin the distribution of another tranche of relief materials across the State.
I have also ordered immediate payment of stipends due to 25,907 vulnerable citizens. This covers payment of N20,000 each to 15,289 elderly citizens and people living with disabilities under our Special Grant Transfer (SGT) scheme and N7,500 stipend to 10,618 youths under the Public Work Fare (PWF) programme.
I thank you once again for your sacrifice and compliance. I count on our collective resolve to win this war against our common enemy, COVID-19. May God accept our sacrifice as we all resolve to heal and keep our land safe. Thank you and God bless.
