The Oyo State Government has warned that it will shut down markets that fail to create various handwashing points within the next seven days.
The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Fatai Owoseni, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with leaders of markets on traders complying with COVID-19 regulations.
He noted that the government had earlier had earlier given the markets samples of the handwashing facility, which have largely been vandalised but said it had become mandatory for the markets to multiply the samples within the next one week.
“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,”
Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police, said.
On people flouting the dusk to dawn curfew in the state, he said the new directive was that anyone caught during the curfew will be asked to remain at the spot till 6 am when then curfew lapses.
Similarly,the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, also urged the market leaders to ensure that traders adhere strictly to the rules of social distancing, the use of face mask and use of alcohol-based sanitisers.
Olatubosun also reminded the market leaders of the state’s directive on that use of face mask in public is compulsory.
Representing Adelabu market at the meeting, Mr Onaolapo Gafar, said the market leaders need government backing to enforce the curfew.
He decried that the area boys had hijacked and destroyed some of the handwashing facilities that were provided by the state government.
