A prominent traditional chief in Ilorin emirate, the Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Salihu Woru Muhammed, has spoken of how Spanish Influenza claimed lives of over 85,000 persons in Ilorin province in 1918.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the state capital, on Wednesday, Muhammed urged the people to observe all safety measures on COVID-19 in order not to have a repeat of what happened in 1918.
Muhammad, who said that there are good lessons which the people of the state should learn from the 1918 Spanish influenza, added that “the Spanish flu hit the whole world suddenly and spread like wide fire. It killed about 50 million people across the globe. Again, like coronavirus, there was no cure. The only remedy to the virus was isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants and ban on public gatherings.
“Today, over 100 years after, the world is faced with similar threat from a similar virus. Again, without any cure, nations and leaders are resorting to the same remedies: isolation, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, ban on public gatherings, among others. This historical experience urges us to take these preventive and control measures against COVID-19 most seriously.”
The traditional chief said that the gains of adherence to the safety measures far outweigh the current hardship such measures have inflicted on the people.
“The truth is that the hard and painful decisions the Kwara State government had taken to prevent and contain the incursion of the virus into our community were forced on the government purely by circumstance beyond its control. Moreover, these measures have been applied with good results by other countries that have suffered the scourge.
“I appeal to you once again to cooperate with government in its efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our state,” he said.
On Apr 15, 2020
A magistrates’ court in Kwara State headed by Bio Saliu has sentenced three violators of the lockdown order of the state government over coronavirus pandemic to one-month community service.
The offenders: Amos Phillip, Babangida Dontatin, Baroye Abel, who are sawmill operators, are to sweep premises of the Kwara State High Court between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm starting from Thursday, April 16.
The magistrate, in his ruling, told the convicts that failure to comply with the judgment is another offence, saying that the community service would be supervised by officers of the correctional services.
He also said that the violators had the right of appeal within 30 days, adding that they should produce guarantor/surety that would liaise with the court and police to make them appear for their punishment.
The Police First Information Report (FIR) had it that the violators were arrested by the police patrol team, led by SP Olaoye Akinwale, at Sawmill area of Ilorin metropolis while engaging in commercial activities against stay-at-home order of the government.
Earlier, the three violators had pleaded guilty to the offences after the complaint was read to them and later pleaded for mercy after their conviction, saying they would henceforth obey the order of the government.
Kwara State government on Wednesday said that soft loans would soon be extended to transport workers like motorcycle, tricycle and cab drivers who have been affected by the shutdown to flatten the curve of transmission of COVID-19.
In a statement after a virtual state executive council meeting to drive home its call for social distancing at a time of global COVID-19 pandemic, the government, through the chief press secretary to Kwara State governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said such loans, to be paid back after the COVID crisis is over, would come under the state’s social investment programme to help the drivers cope with the shutdowns.
The government, which commended the Kwara State Technical Committee on COVID-19 for the “good work they have been doing for our people,” urged all cabinet members to also join community advocacy to deepen public enlightenment without compromising public safety.
GovernorAbdulrahman AbdulRazaq said Kwara may soon receive donations from Abuja which would strengthen the palliatives for the masses — and beyond the categories currently receiving palliatives.
Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Technical Committee, Kayode Alabi, said Kwara has emerged as one of the most prepared states in Nigeria for the pandemic, citing the state of its facilities, the readiness and commitment of its manpower, and the steady distribution of palliatives to the poor to lessen the impact of the development.
The teleconference was attended by all members of the cabinet from their various locations, with Governor Abdulrazaq saying such non-physical interaction offered a glimpse into what would happen in the future.
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