COVID-19: APC Attacks Okowa Over Alleged Poorly Equipped Isolation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta Chapter has dismissed contingency plans emplaced by the Delta State government to check the corona virus epidemic.

The party said 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 hurriedly 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, other designated centres are without space, facilities or what is needed to tackle the dreaded virus.

Delta APC State Publicity Secretary, Sylvester Imonina, in an online statement weekend said that rather than taking proactive preparations, the Okowa-led PDP government is busy playing to the gallery to deceive Deltans.

Part of the statement read, “Information available to us reveals that apart from the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, which has some semblance of an Isolation centre for Coronavirus likely patients, 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 chided the Okowa government on its over-bloated political appointees, adding that reduction of aides could make funds free for capital projects as well as 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.

But in a swift reaction Chief Press Secretary to Gov.Okowa,Mr. Olise Ifeajika debunked the allegations saying that four fully functional isolation centres have been built by the Delta State government.

He said the APC may be confusing the terms holding centres and isolation centre, adding that four isolation centres have been built across the three senatorial districts .

He said the Okowa administration created an extra isolation centre in Asaba due to its status as State Capital, adding that the isolation centre at the Asaba General Hospital has been upgraded to a full fledged ward

According to him, “I hope the APC are not mistaking isolation centres for holding centres. We have 11 holding centres,but four fully equipped isolation centres across the three senatorial district.

We have an extra isolation centre at the Asaba General Hospital due to its status as capital. In Delta Central we have an isolation centre at Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (Delsuth),Oghara and Warri General Hospital,Warri,Delta South senatorial district.”

Nation