By Timothy Alao, Osogbo
Traditional rulers in the State of Osun have thrown their weight behind the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for taking proactive steps in curtailing the exponential spread of the dreaded Coronavirus disease in the State.
The traditional rulers also commended the state government for declaring total lockdown of the state as a way to prevent the communal spread of the disease just as they expressed satisfaction with the steps taken so far by the government to fight the scourge.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary General of the Osun Divisional Conference of Obas, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun and Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi respectively.
The monarchs who expressed sadness over the spread of the virus lauded the State government for taking the bull by the horns even before the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case in the State.
“All Obas in Osun central and Osun West areas of the state express strong support for the efforts of His Excellency, Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, the Executive Governor of the state on the total lockdown meant to curtail the further spread of the Corona virus in our dear state.
“It is painful that the scourge which is ravaging all countries of the world found its way into Nigeria and of recent to our state. The spread is no doubt a matter of concern to Obas who are the closest to our people.
“We salute the proactive steps taken by our Governor so far since the virus sneaked into Nigeria. We are satisfied with the steps so far taken by our governor as we urge him not to relent in his efforts,” the statement reads in part.
The traditional rulers also urged residents of Osun to continue to support the government by adhering strictly to government’s directives and guidelines set out to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We like to plead with residents of the state to abide by the guidelines set out by government to prevent the spread. Notably, we have been instructed to observe social distancing, wash our hands frequently, avoid crowded areas; cough or sneeze inside tissue paper or in our arms and most importantly, stay safe at our respective homes.
“We are aware of the fact that some of the directives may be painful. We advise that we should all endure the discomfort. It is just for a short time. It would soon become a thing of the past.
“It is sad to state that countries whose public health institutions and economy surpass that of Nigeria are sweating profusely under the excruciating burden of the pandemic. The global economy and in particular that of Nigeria as well as our dear state are not exempted.
“Our prayer is that this health emergency does not last long. We need to show understanding with the government of the state and to support the good efforts meant to curtail the spread.
“We advise that our sons and daughters who are outside the state should equally observe stay at home wherever they are in the country and elsewhere so that the virus does not spread further.
“We must all be vigilant and save ourselves from the scourage. We must support our government at the state and federal levels to win the war against the pandemic.
“We urge all our people not to panic; obey government directives, wash our hands regularly or use hand sanitizers where available; maintain social distancing; learn to avoid touching our faces; cover our mouth with tissue paper while coughing or sneezing and stay safe at home. With unity of purpose we will win this war”, the statement added.
