Governor Oyetola

Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun said the state government helped the country to avert what could have been a major disaster from the COVID-19 pandemic with the way it handled the issue of the 117 returnees from Ivory Coast to the state.

Seventeen of the returnees have been confirmed positive for coronavirus.

The Osun State Government on Sunday allowed the remaining 110 returnees who had tested negative for the virus to leave its isolation centre in Ejigbo to their original destinations.

Speaking to journalists in Osogbo, the Governor noted that contrary to believe of many, not all the 127 returnees are from Osun State.

He added that Osun State saved the country from a major disaster by ensuring that the returnees were not allowed to go straight to their respective states when they came back to Nigeria from Ivory Coast.

The Governor said, “Upon profiling, we realised that many of the returnees are from different states. For instance, two of them are from Abia State. But we took responsibility and treated all of them. It would have been disastrous if the 127 people were allowed to move to their various states and mix with people in their respective communities when they came into the country,” the Governor said.

“The 110 whose results came back negative have been released to join their families. Among them are: eleven to Oyo State, two are going to Lagos State, One to Ogun State, three each to Edo and Abia states, four to Delta State and one to Imo State, while 85 will remain here in Osun”.

The Governor, however, added that those released to join their families were advised to observe all the prescribed safety and preventive measures and seek help if they begin to manifest symptoms indicative of coronavirus.

He added that one of the returnees who ran away from the isolation facility after testing positive on Saturday and was later captured, did not mingle with residents: “That patient that left our facility in Ejigbo couldn’t infect anyone because the people of the community shut their doors against her. They didn’t allow her to enter their homes.

“That was why it was easy to apprehend and return her to the treatment facility.”