Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for a lockdown of the state as the only option to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The state chairman of the party, Tony Aziegbemi, made the call at a media briefing in Benin.
He said the state currently accounts for 14 positive COVID-14 cases, making it the highest in the South-South zone just as two deaths had also been recorded.
The party chairman said a total lockdown was required to secure the lives of the five million residents of the state.
Aziegbemi equally said the response of the Godwin Obaseki-led administration to the COVID-19 pandemic was less than satisfactory and scary considering the state’s proximity to the worst-affected states including Lagos and Abuja.
He said, “The government of Edo State has failed us all. The best options to contain COVID-19 are total lockdown and massive testing. Since the Edo State Government has failed in the area of massive testing, we are calling for total lockdown to save the five million Edo people. Edo government does not have data on the poorest of the poor in the state, but is simply playing politics with COVID-19.
“Edo State Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can quite be described as knee jerk. It is better to over-react than to under-react, while the government should consciously work to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page. At present, we are in a war situation. All politics must be set aside and take the back seat.
“Not to compound the failure of the Edo State Government, let us now move forward by asking the administration, as a matter of urgency, to undertake massive testing of citizens for COVID-19, strengthen the process of isolation of persons who have tested positive for coronavirus, strengthen the process of contact tracing, treatment process should be comprehensive and the stay-at-home policy must be strengthened through palliatives.”
The party expressed appreciation to health workers across the state for their sacrifices in containing the pandemic.
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