Kunle Adelabu
The fear of Coronavirus seems to be the beginning of wisdom for everybody at the moment as more people are now staying at home to avoid being infected with the deadly virus.
This was the current situation at the secretariats of the six Local Government Area (LGA) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ikorodu Division which have now been deserted by workers.
Our reporter, who visited the Ikorodu Local Government secretariat along the T.O.S. Benson Avenue and Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA secretariat situated on Obafemi Awolowo Way in Igbogbo, on Tuesday (today), reported that the secretariats were completely empty as workers at all levels stayed off work.
At the Ikorodu secretariat, the council main gate was locked while only those going to transact business at the Polaris bank located within the council premises were allowed entry and were also been monitored.
Initially, our reporter was prevented from entering the council by the head of the council security team who identified himself as Baba Ibeji.
The man told our reporter that he was directed by the Council Manager not to allow anyone into the council premises and all efforts by our reporter to explain his mission to him were unsuccessful until a call was put through to the chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adesina, who later ordered him to allow our reporter to access the council premises.
Upon entry, our reporter found out that all the offices and entire premises were empty while the only visible things were the official cars and others vehicles parked around.
Also, all the gates leading into the offices located within the main secretariat were also locked as well as other buildings within the council premises.
The situation at the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA was not different as the main gate of the secretariat was also locked while only those going to transact business in the banks located within the council premises were allowed entry.
A senior staff of the council who spoke with THE IMPACT explained that he only came to the council to ensure that the health officers and ambulance are motivated to be on standby in case of emergency and also to respond to other businesses that they are supposed to attend to.
While speaking with Hon. Wasiu Adesina, Chairman, Ikorodu Local government, on phone, he stated that the current situation in various councils is due to the fear of Coronavirus currently ravaging the country.
He added that his administration in currently embarking on sensitization campaign to educate residents on symptoms of the deadly disease and how to get help when they discover any of such symptoms.
Hon Adesina also called on residents not to gathered in groups while also urging them to maintain reasonable distance when they gathered.
Also, the Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon Adeola Banjo, while speaking with THE IMPACT on phone, stated that the council is on top of the situation in terms of sensitizing the residents about the disease.
He also added that Public Health Centres within the council are ready to deal with any health related emergency.
“Our Primary Health Centre (PHC) are up to the challenge. Just last week, my wife and Medical Officer in the council embarked on sensitization drive to markets, major streets and other public places to in the council to make residents to be aware of the deadly disease and how to prevent it”, Hon. Banjo stated.
“We do send messages on social media on daily basis to sensitise members of the public on what to do in preventing the Coronavirus and how to tackle it when they detect its symptoms.
On the council ‘s efforts in enforcing the state government’ s directive concerning the prevention of the disease, Hon. Banjo stated that the council has mobilized officers of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to ensure that residents comply with the restriction on public gatherings.
“We have been using officers of LNSC and Civil Defence in ensuring that our residents comply with the restriction on social gathering in churches, mosques and other public places”.
THE IMPACT also gathered that the situation is also the same in other four councils in the division as workers, management staff and political office holders stayed off from work due to the Coronavirus.
A senior staff in one of the councils, who spoke with our reporter on phone, stated that senior staff members above level 12 that the state government asked to be coming to office also decided to stay at home on the ground that they too are human being and can easily contact the deadly virus.
Another council staff, who also spoke with THE IMPACT, stated that, “We also decided to stay away from office because cleaners, drivers, gatemen and other junior officers that supposed to open the offices, clean them and sort the files to work on have all been asked not to come to work. What then are we (the senior staff) going to office to do?”, he asked rhetorically.
Meanwhile, when our reporter visited the Ikorodu General Hospital, he found out that the hospital management has provided tents and chairs outside the hospital for visitors coming into the hospital to use as preventive measures before being allowed entry into the hospital in batches.
Visitors were also screened before going into the hospital while washing hand bowl with water and soap were also placed at strategic point within the hospital premises for visitors’ use.
Attempt to see the Medical Director of the hospital, which is one of the five locations that the state government is proposing to build isolation centres across the state for victims of Coronavirus, to ascertain the level of preparedness for the project proved abortive as the entire hospital staff members were busy monitoring residents trooping into the premises of the hospital.
