Covid-19: Ekiti govt considers subsidy for self-employed citizens

The Ekiti State government is considering providing a stipend to self-employed citizens in the state whose daily income will be affected during the stay-at-home restriction the government has ordered because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov Fayemi disclosed this yesterday at Ado Ekiti in a state broadcast to the residents of the state on the coronavirus […]

The Ekiti State government is considering providing a stipend to self-employed citizens in the state whose daily income will be affected during the stay-at-home restriction the government has ordered because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov Fayemi disclosed this yesterday at Ado Ekiti in a state broadcast to the residents of the state on the coronavirus issue.

He directed the state’s Commissioners for Finance and Budget to advise him on the amount the government can afford to pay each person, in view of the state’s dire financial constraints.

He also said the state would soon commence disinfecting of major public places like markets, bus stops, motor parks and health facilities, as well as all likely places the virus may be lurking across the state.

He said that already, a massive clean-up and disinfection exercise was ongoing in some locations like Atikankan, Irona and Oja Oba areas in Ado Ekiti.

“I am aware that some local government chairmen are already taking initiatives to dredge and clear drains within their jurisdictions,” he said.

The governor added that massive advocacy and sensitization were on going to advise the people on the necessary preventive measures and how to identify and manage the symptoms of COVID-19.

The symptoms, he noted, included fever, coughing, diarrhoea and difficult breathing.

He advised, “Please do not visit your elderly parents or family members at this time to prevent the risk of infecting them.”

The governor also said, “we encourage everyone to do all they can to ensure awareness, compliance and prevention in every farmstead and community in Ekiti State. While the state government will continue to do all it can, every family, community, kingdom and local government must also take responsibility for their area of jurisdiction. All hands must be on deck to defeat coronavirus in Ekiti State. It must be our collective responsibility.”

In a related development, the Ekiti State government has announced it would today commence teaching of primary school pupils on the state-owned radio station as part of efforts to minimize the effects of the disruption of the school calendar by the outbreak of coronavirus.

The Chairman, Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Francisca Aladejana, in a release yesterday, said that the 30-minute daily programme, tagged ‘School on Air’, was also designed to positively engage school-age children, who are on an indefinite break as part of government’s efforts to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.

Prof Aladejana explained that primary school pupils would on each weekday be taught one out of English Language, Yoruba, Basic Science, Civic Education, National Value and Mathematics.

According to her, the programme would be interactive to facilitate proper appraisal of the impact of the proposed programme.

The SUBEB boss added that there would be a phone-in segment at the end of each edition of the programme, which would allow for questions and answers on the topic of the day, as well as act as an evaluation for the reach and impact of the programme.

She urged parents and guardians to take advantage of government’s initiative by ensuring that their children actively participate in the programme every weekday, between 3.10pm and 4pm.