Maximizing benefits of lockdown by Governor Abiodun

The passion in Governor Abiodun is driven and bolstered up by his desire for a purposeful leadership. His demonstration of  this purposeful leadership, in this regard has, to a large extent, warmed the hearts of the people. The government has continued to endure that the welfare and well-being of the citizens and residents are paramount to it.

The emergence of the novel dreaded corona virus popularly christened, COVID-19, no doubt, is a litmus test destined to gauge performances of every elective political office holders, especially sitting governors.

Unlike governors who, by sheer providence, find their ways into offices, with little or no mission-statement, the virus has been a corollary on how the governors have been able to prove their mettle in the discharge of their statutory duties in the provision of good governance and quantitative leadership to their citizenry.

Remarkably, boiling down the situation on ground, at the moment, in Ogun state, the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has never let down the people of Ogun state, upon his assumption of office on May 29, 2019.

He talks less, but his actions speak volume of his steadfastness and commitment to provide good leadership. The Iperu-born Prince has distinguished himself from among the pack of other governors.

He is not, ‘A ma se’ (we are going to do all the projects) person, apology to his predecessor who did nothing, throughout his eight-year tenure in office, to fulfill his electoral promises, but everything was empty-based. His is a departure from those playing politics with people’s lives and public safety.

Here comes the outbreak of the pestilence, Abiodun is in the firm grip and control of the situation. He has put to shame transducers and cynics who have been chasing shadows and also, cashing in, on the opportunity to befuddle the sophistry of the good people of the state through their ‘Greek gifts’ under the guise of providing palliative relief materials and economic stimulus.

By and large, among democratically elected governors that have mounted the saddle of leadership in the Gateway state since its birth on February 3, 1976, none has ever come under scathing attacks and stiff opposition in a succession bid from his predecessor than Abiodun. He has survived many landmines and dirty tricks to make the state ungovernable under his care.

Ranging from near empty treasury, late payment of salaries and wages of workers, backlog of arrears payable to workers, non-payment of pension arrears to retirees, delay in promotions, pseudo-flaunted ‘legacy projects’ to a huge debt profile, Abiodun has inherited a lot up his sleeves to grapple with, upon his assumption of office on May 29, 2019, in a bid to enthrone sanity in governance.

It should be noted that, while Abiodun was still smarting off from the rots of office of his immediate past predecessor and instilling confidence in the state workforce that has relapsed into a slough of despondency over poor governance, it gladdens the heart the approaches he has been handling the coronavirus pandemic with various measures already being put in place are highly commendable

While appreciating the seriousness attached to the healthcare needs to curb the spread of the virus and prevent those who have not contracted the disease from contracting it, the governor, with his large heart, underscores the essence of the need to strike a delicate balance between the public safety and welfare of the citizenry.

With the various measures put in place to further curb the transmission of the virus, apart from strengthening the tracing process, the state government had identified 210 persons that had contacts with the positive cases, out of which 110 underwent the required mandatory 14 days quarantine period.

In the overall aggregate, two of this number tested positive, while the remaining 108 tested negatives on completion of the quarantine period.

The other 100 persons that are still observing the quarantine period and are being observed and monitored by specialist doctors and other healthcare workers, the development is a living testimony of the resolve and commitment to combat the virus headlong.

It is a cheering good news that Ogun state that we are proud of, has been able to curtail and contain the pandemic effectively so far and to a large extent, surpassed the global average for tested cases and transmission under the care of Abiodun.

The global average is one (1) positive case to three (3) new infections, but in the case of Ogun state, it is one (1) positive case to one (1) new infection. In comparison, even with the relatively lower number of positive and active cases, the government is still undaunting to prevent further infection  spread and death from the dreaded virus.