Lagos and Oyo state governments should deploy the Amotekun Corps as an anti-coronavirus army

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) I for one am impressed with the 200-bed isolation centre the Lagos State government has opened at the Onikan Stadium. It looks modern, well equipped, clean and is up to international standards. It even has individual fans for each patient, a personal bin and a general flatscreen TV

(2) We have heard that the Oyo State government is planning to open a 110-bed isolation centre in Ibadan. I look forward to seeing more pictures of the facility

(3) I have not heard about what the Ogun State government is doing but being one of the states to be locked down because of the high number of incidences it has, an isolation centre appears to be a must in my opinion. President Buhari has placed the state in total lockdown

(4) Projections we have been given indicate that as many as 39,000 people may be Covid 19-positive in Nigeria. However we only have 310 isolation beds so far

(5) With Nigeria needing over 38,000 more isolation beds, we have our work cut out. If you ask me, we should focus our isolation centres in Lagos, Abuja, Abeokuta and Ibadan

(6) However, beds are only part of the equation. We need an army of volunteers to manage these centres as our healthcare professionals need to be free to deal with the medical challenges of the pandemic. Nigeria cannot afford to tie down her doctors and nurses at this crucial time

(7) For me, this is an ideal opportunity to unleash the Amotekun Corps. Give them emergency paramedic training and let them manage these isolation centres at least in Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan

(8) In my book, security includes health security, so combating a pandemic should be within Amotekun’s remit. I think it is also important that its operatives are trained in as wide a variety of skills as possible

(9) Members of the Amotekun Corps should also be used to enforce the ban on gatherings. In particular they should be deployed outside churches and mosques to ensure compliance with the social isolation directive

(10) Across other geo-political zones, regional bodies can similarly be used to combat this pandemic. This is an opportunity to train large numbers of our youths. We can never have too many paramedics and health workers

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