Stop Displaying Crass Ignorance Over Serious Matters, Delta PDP Replies APC, Spokesman Over Attack On Gov Okowa

The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has berated the State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC and its Publicity Secretary for displaying what it called “crass ignorance” over serious matter as deadly Coronavirus pandemicr.

APC Publicity Secretary, Sylvester Imonina, a lawyer had alleged that isolation centres setup in the State by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa incase of coronavirus are ill-equipped or non-existent.

But responding to this, PDP says the main opposition party in the state was just “spreading fake news to Deltans and playing politics with the deadly Corona Virus and the arrangements put in place to handle the global pandemic, if at all it filters into Delta State”.

The party Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, chided the APC publicist “to stop displaying crass ignorance over a serious matter that involves the lives of Deltans and instead try to follow up on global updates concerning the Corona Virus to be well informed before issuing any other embarrassing press release”.

Dr. Osuoza said: “It is becoming quite annoying and distracting to always have to point out the crass ignorance which the APC in Delta State continues to display even in understanding simple things like the difference between a ‘Holding Centre’ and an ‘Isolation Centre’

“First of all, it is imperative to state here categorically that THERE IS NO SINGLE REPORTED CASE OF CORONA VIRUS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS COVID-19 IN DELTA STATE SO FAR, and it shall remain so by the Grace of God until this pandemic goes away globally in Jesus name, Amen.

“Having established this clear fact, it becomes equally important to state here for the avoidance of doubt that the Delta State government set up 12 holding facilities across the State, as a precautionary measure to mitigate against the potential spread of the Corona Virus,

“These holding centres are General Hospital, Okwe; General Hospital, Ogwashi Uku; Central Hospital, Ughelli; Central Hospital, Warri; General Hospital, Bomadi; Central Hospital, Sapele; Central Hospital, Kwale; General Hospital, Ekpan; Central Hospital, Oleh; General Hospital, Agbor; Eku Baptist Hospital; and Asaba Specialist Hospital. These holding centers are already existing and fully functional General and Central Hospitals across the State and were set up in accordance with the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC guidelines.

“Let us also quickly state here that the Delta State government also recently unveiled a purpose-built, fully equipped and operational ready Isolation Centre, located in the Federal Medical Centre in the State capital, Asaba, which was commissioned by the Governor of Sokoto State, His Excellency, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

“It is therefore very embarrassing and shameful to imagine that APC, a party which wants Deltans to take it seriously, does not even know the difference between a HOLDING CENTRE and an ISOLATION CENTRE. This is very unfortunate indeed because even a well educated elementary school child can easily differentiate between both facilities and give the meaning of what each stands for, just by mere pronunciation of the English words ‘Holding’ and ‘Isolation’, not to talk of someone who claims to be a lawyer.

“It is quite saddening that against the backdrop of these very comprehensive and quite effective arrangements, including the fact that our dear Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has as a responsible leader who cares for his people, actually taken time out to address Deltans and calm their anxieties, the Delta APC has chosen the route of perfidy by saying that the Delta State government is lying and playing to the gallery.

The statement, however assured Deltans that the State public health centres are on red alert and active surveillance and intensive risk communication are already in place to mitigate any incidence of Corona Virus.

“The Delta State government has switched from watch mode to alert mode and this has been sustained to ensure that Covid-19 will be effectively contained in case of an outbreak”, the statement added.