Alhaji Baba Tela, Bauchi State deputy governor
Our Correspondent, Bauchi
Alhaji Baba Tela, the deputy governor of Bauchi state says that majority of people in Bauchi do not believe that COVID-19 exists, adding that most people also believe it is a disease for big men.
The Deputy Governor who made this known in a news conference in Bauchi on Monday, said there was little or no compliance to the advice by health experts on measures to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
He said, “There is one thing I will like to say, the level of compliance in Bauchi state is almost zero, we don’t practise social distancing.
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“We don’t wash or sanitize our hands, in fact, majority of the people in Bauchi do not believe that this disease exists. Some believe it is a disease of the big men,” he said.”
He further said that the government has the responsibility of protecting the citizens of the state and would not allow few to become a serious health threat to the remaining citizens of the state.
The deputy governor who explained that, although the state government cannot embark on total lockdown without adequate palliatives, said “it is better to have a lockdown without palliatives than to have situations whereby we will not be able to control infections or death”.
Tela, who is also the Chairman, Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19, said his team and Security Committee were not satisfied with the way borders were manned when visited on Friday.
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He, however, explained that other measures had been put in place to ensure that proper adherence and compliance is done at the borders.
He appealed to the people of the state to adhere to all the preventive measures as advised by health experts so as to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
“I’m appealing to the people of Bauchi state, before it becomes too late for us, to please adhere to all the protocols of social distancing, making use of hand sanitizers, face masks and all other preventive measures as advised by experts.
“This will go a long way in curtailing the spread of the virus in the state”, he added
A Bauchi based Non-Governmental Organization: Centre for Information Technology and Development’ (CITAD), had on April 12 appealed to the state government to impose a total lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
The NGO said the appeal was based on the feedback of residents’ non adherence to social distancing, use of face masks and other measures being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
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The NGO further said, agents deployed to monitor markets, event centres, motor parks and other public places observed that there was little or no compliance to the advice by health experts on measures to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.