Social Actions in partnership with the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organization Forum (BANGOF) and with the support of the Co-Chairs of Bayelsa State Task Force on COVID-19 set up the CSOs/Media Covid-19 Situation Room in the state. The Situation Room is the bid to support government’s and the citizens’ efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic through information dissemination, public enlightenment and advocacy. The Situation Room monitors government policies and citizens compliance in the face of the pandemic in Bayelsa State.
In a meeting which held at the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, Programme Officer of Social Actions, Prince Edegbuo hinted the Co-chairs of the State Taskforce, Dr Inodu Akpoku, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Mr Frestin Akpor, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information on the interventions the Situation rooms set to achieve. Such interventions include; ensuring a widespread Covid-19 awareness creation, sensitization of citizens on the reality of Covid-19, monitoring of palliatives to ensure accountability and transparency in the process of distribution, investigate issues of human rights abuses by security personnel that are likely to occur during the period of lockdown. He also solicited for the support of the state government and the Taskforce to achieve common objectives.
The Co-chairs appreciated this new development and promised their unflinching support to any intervention that is targeted towards ensuring that the state remains coronavirus free. Further speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Minister of Information, asserted that the State Taskforce would fully collaborate and support information dissemination on preventive measures to curb the spread of the pandemic. He added that suggestions and recommendations by the team on how human rights abuses by security agents can be abated are also welcomed
Chair of BANGOF, Robinson Kurubogha assured the Co-Chairs that they would be abreast with all details as plans and events unfolds as all media platform will be employed to announce the activities of the Situation Room. He said that monitoring of palliative would be a priority