BECO REJECTS USE OF HEIPANG AS QUARANTINE SITE

The Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO), has observed with utmost dismay and utter disappointment the decision of the Plateau state government to use Godiya Tourist Resort,(a private hotel in the midst of residential area), Heipang, as it’s quarantine site for the dreaded COVID-19 victims . This is for very obvious health reasons and concerns.

1. No doubt at all, the state government has the right to use any part of the state to develop its Quarantine or isolation sites. But it’s common knowledge that ultimately such locations must meet some basic minimum standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The site in Heipang, being in the midst of a residential community and directly opposite the Main Campus of the State Polytechnic, does not meet the set standard. If anything at all, this development poses a lethal threat to the lives of people and animals in the vicinity.
2. In deciding on the site at Heipang, government is known to have arrogantly ignored the need for and necessity of an elementary dialogue with the people affected. Heipang, like any other districts, has Gwom Rwey with his Council of Chiefs, among diverse opinion leaders, who ought to have been formally notified first, as a mark of respect. That this was not done suggests of an unsettling insensitivity on the part of the state.
3. We are further saddened by the fact that the concerns and pleas of the affected people whose lives have come directly under danger of infection, and have made series of overtures to government. Unfortunately, all the villagers have received in return is a display of falsehood and insincerity. This is most uncharitable and unacceptable.
4. That the district has gone out of its way to provide an alternative site, with high potentials of meeting the WHO standards, is to say the least, an act of good faith and a rare display of patriotism. Unbelievably, government appears resolute in using the present unsuitable site, with all its potentials for creating health hazards of unimaginable proportions to law abiding residents. This underlies our fear and or, suspicions of the underlying motive of the state. There’s more than what the eye sees, at play here.
5. Having raised our grave concerns above, we cannot isolate ourselves in anyway from the current effort of governments at all levels, to find lasting solutions to the global pandemic, caused by the COVID 19 challenge. We are also concerned about the welfare and well being of our people who stand the very high risk of being infected through hosting people living with the infection. We believe government will not allow this situation to get beyond the present.

We hereby call on men, women, people of goodwill, all over the world, to impress on the government of Plateau state to immediately reverse it’s decision of importing death and destruction to our land, by immediately relocating the Quarantine camp from Heipang. Elsewhere in the world the effort is to find lasting solution to the pandemic. Ours must be seen to so tally with international best practices.

Chollom Gyang
Secretary General.

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COVID-19 Plateau: BECO Rejects Use of Facility in Heipang as Quarantine Centre, Says it is in Residential Area