By Eseoghene Emuke
The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says 80 per cent of the isolation centres designated for suspected cases Coronavirus in the state are without any facility or manpower to combat possible outbreak of the disease.
It lambasted the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration for the poor arrangement, saying the isolation centres were urgently put together to deceive people of the state that the government was ready for any outbreak.
The party observed that aside the centre at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, the state capital, which has semblance of isolation centre, other designated centres are without space, facilities or what is needed to tackle the dreaded global virus.
In a statement on Saturday by its State Publicity Secretary, Sylvester Imonina, APC noted that rather than taking proactive preparations, the Okowa-led PDP government is busy playing to the gallery to deceive Deltans.
According to it, “Information available to us reveals that apart from the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, which has some semblance of an Isolation centre for Coronavirus likely patience, all other hospitals do not have Isolation centres and/or facilities to tackle Coronavirus related ailments.
“Must governance be built around lies in Delta State? We dare to challenge the State Government to show to the public the facilities provided in the centres mentioned, apart from Asaba.
“APC, Delta State urges Deltans to live hygienic lives. Coronavirus is real but the level of preparedness of the State Government to tackle same is built on falsehood.
“There is nothing on ground to suggest seriousness on the part of government. A visit to more than eighty (80) percent of the said hospitals where isolation centres are purportedly located showed that they are home to darkness and Torchlights when it is dusk. Lack of drugs, understaffing and dearth of competent medical personnel are synonymous with the hospitals.
“For instance, though, not an Isolation centre, General Hospital, Ozoro is a dump for inexperienced National Youth Service Corps medical Doctors. Same applies to most hospitals in the State. Deltans should therefore not be made to live on falsehood.”
The statement while criticizing the state government preparedness further, insisted that the Okowa government should cut down its over-bloated list of political appointees to fund capital projects as well as to adequately prepare for Coronavirus in the state.
“To every conscientious government, the welfare of the people is the supreme law. However, in Delta State, the Government prefers playing to the gallery and/ or feeding her citizens with lies instead of tackling genuinely the problems besetting her citizens.
“It is on the above premise that the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State, and the good people of Delta State express their total disappointment on the way and manner the PDP-led government in Delta State is handling the ravaging Coronavirus (Covid-19) issues in the State.
“Because of the insincerity of Delta State Government on Coronavirus issues, APC, Delta State, charged Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa to cut down his over-bloated appointments of Aides, rather than reducing the number of capital projects that are not enough for Deltans; in order to have enough funds to tackle the virus headlong whenever and wherever it surfaces in Delta State.
“Contrary to the claim of Delta State Government that isolation centres had been set up in different parts of Delta State to tackle any possible outbreak of Coronavirus epidemic in the State, the state chapter of the APC can authoritatively report that the PDP- led government has done nothing to prove any sign of seriousness to tackle the dreaded menace”, APC added.
