CODIV-19: "We Need Serious Advocacy Now", Eleniyan says after an unpleasant experience among his constituents

The Osun West Chief Whip at the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Ibirogba Babatunde Eleniyan from Egbedore State constituency has taken to the timeline of his Facebook account to narrate his experience as he embarked on the distribution coronovirus preventive items at his constituency. Read

Good morning my dear  compatriots.

I had unpleasant experience among our people at grassroots level yesterday as I distributed  items like sanitizers , face masks , gloves- aimed at containing the spread of the exterminating coronavirus pandemic. There's an erroneous belief that the ravaging virus is meant to deal a deadly blow to the white and educated elites - the nouvea riche-the bourgeoisie  and not  the  proletariat - i.e the poor ,the haves not. This misconstrued notion is inimical to the eradication/ containment  processes of this deadly disease.

 I tried hard to change their mind set, very infinitesimal number of them concured with me.There the problem lies. If the cadre that has  large chunk of our population refuses to acknowledge that this murderous pandemic pervades all strata of our society and not a designated  group then, we are indeed in for a bigger trouble. A constituent was quick to remind me that the preponderant percentage of the infected so far occurred at the top echelon of our society and that not a single 'poor person' was so far afflicted. I quickly interjected ,though not  completely  at my wits end, that no ' poor person ' has  availed himself for testing. My interrogator constituent  pointedly told me  that ' you have not come to the grassroots for testing exercise, it has only been done among you people at the top.' It was at this juncture I told him that no government measure at containing the spread of this  deadly virus was discriminatory. It was/is still meant for all and sundry- absolutely classless.As a matter of fact ,there are designated hospitals for testing  exercise.

Given this background information and if we are desirous of nurturing into fruition the  current efforts of our  Governor- the political avatar, cognoscente and inimitable magnificent and munificent politician of our time- Alh Isiaq Gboyega Oyetola , then  we need serious advocacy now .Our people need to be enlightened on the GENERALITY  phenomenon of this virus. I speedily suggest  we mount a campaign  in all the nooks and crannies of the local governments.  It could be in form of a bus with public address system affixed on top - with a driver and just one person -(bearing in mind the social distancing )- sensitising our ignorant populace. This must be done with  rare alacrity before the situation becomes armageddon .The prevailing luguburious situation as witnessed yesterday  prompted this urgent action.

We need to let them be aware of the dangers inherent in this hobgoblin called Covid 19.We must have them immersed in the imperativesness of basic  hygiene. They are wonderful people whose predilections oscillate toward strict  adherence  to instructions if rightly educated.Gargantuan and proactive measures of government can only be complemented if all citizens  key into them.Enlightenment   campaign as enunciated above is pivotal to  this deadly  disease  containment. By this ,the tarradidle - ludicrous buncombe and hogwash - that the virus is that of nouvea riche would be extirpated with speed and everybody will then  brace  up for reality. We desire ' consensus ad idem 'on  this oddity as we thank God for giving us  a pragmatic  Governor who is given to acta non verba- action not rhetorics .May God make our land  whole.

Eleniyan.