Children participating in the FG’s National Home Grown School Feeding programme

Adejoke Adeleye,Abeokuta

Ogun State Government in partnership with the Federal Government has said it is ready to feed over 60,000 school pupils who are currently at home as part of palliatives designed to reduce the pains of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents of the State.

The State Government made this known through the State Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Barr. Femi Ogunbanwo, during a briefing for members of the State House of Assembly in Abeokuta on Friday.

Ogunbanwo revealed that  the feeding programme will be done in collaboration with necessary stakeholders, including the Parents/Teachers Association (PTA) and Local Government Councils at 290 designated distribution centres in the various wards  across the State without political consideration.

He also revealed that over 2, 400 household in the State have been enlisted in conditional cash transfer programme for inclusion in the National Social Register of the Federal Government.

He assured that the State’s 100,000 target would be achieved within the next few weeks.

This, according to him was with a view to cushioning the effect of the impact of the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

In the same vein, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said over 8, 000 health workers have been enrolled for life insurance by the government as part of measures to motivate the frontline workers in combatting the Coronavirus pandemic in the State in line with the Assembly’s resolution for insurance for health workers.

He added that Government has also finalized the process of giving more incentives for the front line health workers during the pandemic.

Reeling out the strategies for the containment of the virus in the State, the Commissioner noted that as at Friday, 700 contacts had been tested, out of which 137 were confirmed positive, with 59 of them treated and discharged, 70 active cases and five fatalities recorded, acknowledging that available facilities at the centres had made response to the pandemic steady in the State.

On the modalities for location of isolation centres in Sagamu, Ikenne and Abeokuta, Coker clarified that it was in line with the international standard practices of locating such centres close to tertiary health facilities.

Responding, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo challenged the Commissioners to improve on  measures aimed at combating the spread of the virus, reiterating that the lawmakers will continue to collaborate with the Executive to ensure that the State flatten the curve of the pandemic.

Oluomo also tasked residents of the State to adhere strictly to guidelines put forward by health personnel including the maintenance of social distance, use of face mask, hand washing and other hygienic practices.