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By Shina Abubakar

Policemen guarding the Ejigbo isolation centre have lamented over what they termed poor welfare and lack of protective wares for the discharge of their duties.

There was Controversy surrounding the situation at the Ejigbo isolation centre, where Côte d’Ivoire returnees into Osun State were kept pending the determination of their coronavirus status.

Earlier on Saturday, there were reports of some returnees who tested positive for the virus escaping from the centre with the state government debunking that six escaped, saying only one was missing.

Later same day, a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode disclosed that the missing patients was apprehended and returned to the facility.

However, the deputy governor, Mr Benedict Gboyega Alabi later contended that none of the returnees from Cote d’Ivoire, who tested positive escaped despite the official statement issued by the Commissioner of Information.

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According to Alabi to journalists at the isolation centre in Ejigbo, “there is a mixup we are trying to sort out in the laboratory and another state which I won’t mention now. None of the Cote d’Ivoire returnees that tested positive is missing, they are all in the isolation centre.”

“All those who came into the state, we profile them by getting their phone numbers, addresses and that of their next of kin. Some did not believe the test we did which is the reason why we have security personnel around them.”

“We are trying our best to see that we are fully prepared in Osun State that is all the effort we are making. All the index cases we have in the state are in the isolation centre and being taken care of and all the ones that are negative are preparing to leave for their various homes.

READ ALSO: Osun missing coronavirus patients found

When the issues of the foreign returnees came to Ejigbo, we converted the General Hospital to isolation centre. We want to decentralize our isolation centre. We have in Ejigbo, Ile-Ife and Osogbo, We are working on Ede ‘s own”.

Meanwhile, Policemen guarding the Ejigbo isolation centre lamented over what they termed poor welfare and lack of protective wares for the discharge of their duties.

One of the policemen, who spoke on behalf of others, numbering about 80 told Osun State deputy governor, Mr Benedict Alabi that they only received only a paltry sum of N1,000 for the past three days after resuming duties in the isolation centre and were not given any food.

He said that they have not been given nose masks, hand gloves and other protective wears, saying with the peculiarities of the environment in the isolation centre, the provision of protective materials was critical for their health.

The deputy governor, who also doubles as the chairman, COVID-19 Taskforce Committee in Osun while responding assured that all their complaints would be looked into, just as he charged them to be effective in providing security at the isolation centre.

When Sunday Vanguard moved round the facility, some of the returnees, who have tested positive to coronavirus, numbering 17 were kept inside a newly constructed air-conditioned ward.

Though our correspondent was not allowed to speak with the patients, few of the health workers, who spoke under condition of anonymity said those who tested positive were in good and stable condition.

However, the spokesperson of the returnees, who tested negative, Alhaji Mojeed Animashaun, an indigene of Iwo appreciated the state government for their kind gesture, just as he apologised for their “unruly behaviour”.
Meanwhile, all the returnees who tested negative and were not from Osun State left the isolation centre in Ejigbo yesterday for their respective states.

From the breakdown of the figures, 11 of them are from Imo, Abia, Delta and Edo, 11 from Oyo State, two from Lagos, while one is from Ogun State.

Vanguard Nigeria News