By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, on Friday gave insight into how over seventy-eight persons that visited the residence and participated in the burial ceremony of the suspected index case of covid-19 in Kwara State, Alhaji Muideen Obanimomo were traced.
Obanimomo was buried according to Islamic injunction at his residence in Offa Local Government Area, southern part of the state.
Kwara State government while announcing measures to contain the contagion after the wife of Obanimomo tested positive to covid-19 has said “contact tracing by the Rapid Response Team of the medical advisory committee has so far netted 74 persons who have had contacts with the cases and the suspected case at UITH.
“As we speak, government has directed all the contacts to begin self isolation under government’s strict monitoring”, a government statement added.
But throwing more light on the issue, the Olofa who spoke on a Channels television flagship programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’ said the state was able to trace such high figures in just two days because of the volunteering spirit of the affected people following proper enlightenment from relevant bodies in the community.
According to him, the community had prepared itself long before the government announced the lockdown in Offa adding that there have been collaborative efforts to complement the state government on the provision of palliative aimed at cushioning the effect of the pandemic.
He said “Most of the people in the community are all aware of what really happened and the consequence of the aftermath if not properly managed. In fact most of them willingly came out to tell us that they visited the house of the deceased and also participated in the burial and requested that we tell them what next to do.
“We educated them on the need to (quarantine) themselves in an isolated place for 14 days while the NCDC officials check on them from time to time. That was how we were able to get such a huge number of about 78 persons within two days for isolation because all of them were ready to cooperate and willingly submitted themselves.
Speaking on the provision of palliatives owing to the lockdown, the Olofa said apart from what the government gave, the people of the community also came together to assist.
“I Know of a club that gave two thousand people N10,000 each, the Offa Descendant Union (ODU) also gave about twelve thousand bags of semovita, rice and beans to go round. We are fully ready because the pandemic is a worldwide problem and we have educated a lot of the people and made all necessary preparations within our own purse to try and ameliorate their suffering.
“We have kept up the tempo of our sensitization. What we tell them mostly is to try as much as possible to keep social distance, wash their hands and follow all other protocols that have been adopted. About a month ago, the government gave us lot of soaps and hand sanitizers. Offa being an educated town with enlightened populace, the people have received full briefing on covid-19.
”In the case of the markets where they may not want to obey the social distancing, the police and civil defence are always there to control the crowd. We also know that at the end of the day, it will affect a lot of businesses because a lot of people will be trapped who could not go out to make ends meet”.
On the issue of stigmatization, the traditional ruler said residents of the community have been at the receiving end since the latest development adding that he had to personally speak with his counterparts in other domains for the issue not to escalate.
“Right now… it is believed that when you are from Offa, you cannot go to any other community around except that they accused you of bringing coronavirus. I have received several calls on this and I am trying to let them know that because you are coming from Offa or you work in Offa and relocated to your village now because of the lockdown does not mean the person has coronavirus.
“So, I have spoken with the traditional rulers in the affected towns who have also conveyed the message to their people. There was a case on Thursday when an Okada rider who relocated to his hometown because of the lockdown was driven out by some people that he has coronavirus because he was coming from Offa”.
