Communities in Ewekoro, an industrial hub in Ogun State where the first index victim of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) visited on arrival in the country from Italy has been engulfed in fear as the ever lively communities currently look like a ghost town for possible fear of the dreaded novel coronvirus.
When our reporter visited the community, which hosts one of the largest cement factory in Nigeria, Lafarge Cement Company, most of the business centres and markets around the factory had been deserted
Asides from Ewekoro, neighbouring communities are also in panic possibly as a result of poor information. From Akinbo to Itori, Iyana-Egbado, Lapeleke, Papalanto, Gudugba, Abule-Oko and Abule-Egba, among others, residents are generally on the edge.
The ever busy second gate of the cement company’s second gate was quiet as at the time our reporter visited, with only a mobile police officer manning it. A few trucks waited for their turn to be asked in, while drivers were seen chatting with their colleagues.
However, contrary to the claim by the Ogun State government that the company had shutdown it’s operations, our reporter can authoritatively confirm that the company is still in full operation as workers were seen going in and out, while smoke was seen billowing from the kiln.
The Director, Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, through a release on Friday said “as business, we have immediately identified the persons who had direct contact with the concerned individual. We have equally initiated isolation, quarantine and disinfection protocol”
“We thank the exemplary leadership of the federal ministry of health, Ogun and Lagos State Governments for swiftly providing response and testing facilities and we are working in full co-operation with all local authorities. Lafarge Africa is also working in close partnership with International SOS, our medical service provider, a leading global health company.
“Health and Safety remains a core value at Lafarge Africa and we intend to leverage this strength at this critical time.” she said
