By Ola Ajayi – Ibadan

As cases of COVID-19 increase gradually in Oyo State, the government has raised alarm that hand washing items provided for markets in the state have been vandalized.

Consequently, it mandated all markets in Oyo state to provide hand washing items within a week or risk being shut down.

The directive was given through the Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Fatai Owoseni, during a meeting with leaders of markets in Ibadan.

He said the meeting was aimed at encouraging traders to comply with COVID-19 regulations.

He hinted that the government had initially given the markets samples of the handwashing facility which he alleged had been vandalised.

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Owoseni said, “the markets have seven days to multiply and replicate the samples of the handwashing basins that have been designed and given to them already.”

“They have to own, secure the facilities as their own and monitor their usage because the ones that government distributed have been vandalized and removed from where we put it. Markets that don’t comply will be closed,”

When advising people to comply with the dusk to dawn curfew that had been imposed, he vowed that anyone who flouted the government’s directive in the state, would be compelled to remain on the spot till 6 am when the curfew would be relaxed.

Also, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun advised market leaders to ensure that sensitize their traders to observe social distancing, the use of face mask and use of alcohol-based sanitizers.

The representative of the market, Mr Onaolapo Gafar, asked for the support of the state government.

He explained that the facilities provided by the government were hijacked and destroyed by street urchins.

Vanguard News Nigeria.