COVID’19: Amuwon-Odofin LG Considers Increase In Funds For Health

The Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Engr. Valentine Buraimoh, said it has been put to consideration and have been concluded that more funds will be given to the health sector in post-COVID-19 period in the area.

Buraimoh stated this while giving an account of his stewardship to commemorate the third anniversary in office.

According to the council boss, “Unexpectedly, the pandemic struck. The year of the Mask evolved because Lagos State became an epicentre, lockdown was inevitable.

“In Amuwo-Odfin Local Government is just like any other communities across the world, we had no blueprint on how to survive through COVID-19, yet we knew we just had to get tough, become resilient to avoid a total collapse.

“The pandemic took the world by surprise, we never envisaged it but we quickly swung into action by making sure we started with safety procedures. We accommodated Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, doctors posted to Amuwo and health workers because of lockdown. It has gone a long way in reducing drastically the positive cases in the area.

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“We have to improve on our health facilities now, we are going to spend more on the health sector in the post-COVID-19 era.

“We have to provide more aid boxes in schools, expand various activities in our health facilities in Abule Ado, Mile-2, Festac Town and build more ultra-modern Primary Health Centres, PHC’s projects to handle mini surgery operations and can be used as isolation centre where a ward can be dedicated to handle infectious diseases for treatment in future cases.”

On steps taken by his administration to cushion the effect of the pandemic, Buraimoh said, “The administration immediately refocused its lenses, thus, making the welfare of the masses a priority.
We commenced an aggressive advocacy of safety procedures across the councils, also led sensitization drives to markets, motor parks, fliers, among others.

“We distributed food relief palliatives through community leaders who could easily identify those in their various communities that fall within the scope of the targeted beneficiaries. Procured operational vehicles, a mini-bus for contact tracing for health workers, SUV for Nigerian Police, Area E Division domiciled in the council, the year of the mask has been quite challenging, yet our resilient conviction while battling the unseen enemy called COVID-19 is to continue to forge ahead strongly while the going gets tough.

“In spite of all this, the administration did not collapse. The administration continued to run the initial proposed consolidation agenda.

“Construction of a new area office in Abule Ado was completed. Primary school blocks were renovated in Abule-Ado and Festac town respectively.

“Under the leadership of this administration, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government is committed to pursuing the mandate of a greater Lagos by engaging the THEMES agenda for the development of Lagos and would be ready to serve the local government for another one more term.”