Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday rejected a motion by the only PDP lawmaker, Rasheed Elegbeleye, that the April 18 local government elections be postponed till further notice as a means of curbing the spread of coronavirus.
However, it passed a resolution asking Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, to close public and private schools as well as ban all public gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.
Elegbeleye had argued that the local elections would make people gather in a place and postponing the polls would help to curb the spread of CONVID-19.
The APC lawmakers shouted him down and described the motion as ‘dead on arrival.’
Also, the lawmakers suspended plenary for two weeks to enable members visit their constituencies and sensitise them on the need to maintain proper hygiene and curb the spread of CONVID-19.
Speaker Bamidele Oleyelogun, who read the resolution after the Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji, moved the motion called on hoteliers to fumigate their business premises and placed hand washing basin at the entrance.
The Speaker barred all visitors from parking inside the premises but to park outside with a view to using the wash hand basin and sanitisers provided.
He also urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the health sector over CONVID-19 pandemic as well as release funds to state government.
Before the resolution was passed, the lawmakers invited the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, to brief them following a suspected case of CONVID-19 in the state.
Adegbenro informed the lawmakers that lab results of the suspected coronavirus case in the State was being expected but health officials have begun contact traces of people that met the patient.
Adegbenro urged residents in the state to be more careful since the virus had been tested positive in nearby states of Ekiti and Lagos states.
He said the vaccine to be released next Monday by the US was not qualified for the market because it has not been proven to tackle the virus.
The Health Commissioner said isolation centers in the state were capable of taking care of patients adding that special funding has been made available.
He urged the lawmakers to approve more money for the health sector as consumables and preventive kits need to be purchased.
The Nation
