•••Health Commissioner says 2 COVID-19 deaths are from Lagos
The State of Osun House of Assembly has passed the State of Osun Public Financial Management Bill 2020.
This is even as the House of Assembly heard that the two COVID-19 deaths recorded in the state were people who returned to the state from Lagos.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye at plenary stated that the passage of the bill will encourage transparency and sound management of government funds and assets.
Owoeye also noted that the bill when assented to by the state governor will boost the state’s revenue and ensure the sustainable development of the State.
In his words, “The objective of this bill is to secure and entrench transparency, accountability and sound management of revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of the state government of Osun and other public institutions of the state.
“The purpose of the passed bill among others is to effectively and efficiently regulate financial management in the state.
“Undoubtedly, when the bill is assented to by Governor Gboyega Oyetola, it will check the mismanagement of government funds and assets, thereby boosting the state’s revenue and ensuring sustainable development of the state”.
He stressed that the passed bill shall apply to all arms of government of Osun, including ministries, departments and agencies as well as local government councils.
The bill higligted capital receipt that shall be paid into the development fund as internal loans; bonds or funds raised from public offers; grants and reimbursements.
Others shall also include; investments incomes; transfers from consolidated revenue fund; external loans and other source classified under capital receipt
Earlier, the Commissioner and Special Adviser to Governor Gboyega Oyetola on health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu and Dr. Olasiji Olamiju respectively while briefing the Assembly on the efforts of the Oyetola led administration on the Coronavirus pandemic said the two COVID-19 deaths recorded in the state were people who returned to the state from Lagos.
The appearance of the duo before the House gave them opportunity to intimate the parliamentarians on the state of isolation centres, number of death recorded and present condition of those who are in the isolation centres among others.
According to the commissioner, “We need to shed more light on the two deaths recorded in Osun. The two Lagos returnees from both Ife and Ede had significant comorbidities. The former was severely ill while in Lagos and equally was diabetic and hypertensive.
“The latter was HIIV positive before he contracted covid-19. The patient in Ile-Ife died before the result of sample collected was released, never made it to our facility while that of Ede died the day we went to announce the result and bring him to our facility
“At no time did we say that we collected a total of 167 samples at a time from any cluster of patients but cumulative of samples collected over a period 3 weeks. As at evening of 27th April, 2020 a total number of 340 samples had been collected out of which 34 were confirmed positive, 19 treated and discharged, two died, active cases now 13”.
Owoeye appreciating the Governor of Osun’s proactiveness against the spread of the virus emphasized the need for people across the state to be Safety conscious by following laid down precautionary measures put in place to curbing the spread of the virus.
He charged Parlimentarians not to trivialize matters associated with the community transmission and that all hands must be on deck for covid19 to be brought down.
