Ibadan residents beg Oyo Govt to extend registration exercise for mosquito nets

Residents in Ibadan metropolis have appealed to the Oyo State government to extend the registration period for the collection of mosquito nets in various Local governments across the state.

This follows reports that the registration period, July 30 to August 7, was considered not enough period for the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was sponsored by the Oyo State Government in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

NAN reports that the ad-hoc staff in charge of the exercise are expected to go from house to house to register people, mostly women and cards given for the collection of two mosquito nets for one woman.

A resident of Oke-Itunuo area, Mokola, Ibadan, in Ibadan North-West, ward seven, Mrs Patricia Ipinsokan, said she had not been registered.

”I was at home waiting for the local government ad-hoc staff to register me but those people who are registering residents were not seen at all in Oke-Itunu area of Mokola,” she said.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart around the railway line who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity, said Ibadan North-West had not flagged-off the registration exercise yet.

A trader, Mrs Kemi Aminu, resident of Ologuneru, said she had not registered to get the small card that would enable her collect two mosquito nets.

“The ad-hoc staff, who were employed by the local government, are expected to go from house to house, but they did not show up at all in my street at Ologuneru.

“The ad-hoc staff did not reach certain areas which can open the chance for the exercise to be hijacked by politicians in charge of recruiting ad-hoc staff who might sign the paper with various fake names.

“After collection, the mosquito nets will flood various markets in Ibadan for sale, thereby, jeopardising the purpose it was meant for,” Aminu said.

At Ibadan North-West, some of the ad-hoc staff were seen entering Iyaganku Police station to register wives of policemen.

They were also sighted at Lieutmock Army Barrack, Mokola, Ibadan.

Mr Ademola Okanlawon, a resident of Oluyole, said the registration exercise was a laudable programme by the Oyo State Government. He urged government to extend the exercise by another one week, to accommodate more people.

Okanlawon said this would make the move to roll out malaria in individual homes and in Nigeria generally a complete success.