Oyo State government, on Friday, evacuated 14 mentally-ill persons and 86 destitute persons from some areas in Ibadan, the state capital, for treatment and rehabilitation.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the exercise, reports that the evacuees were picked up at Mokola, Jembewon, Challenge, Sango, Orita-UI and Ojoo areas of the city.
NAN also reports that the exercise, the third of its kind this year, was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion.
NAN observed that the exercise was quite challenging for the government officials, as some of the mentally sick evacuees resisted being taken away.
The security backup provided by the police, however, made the operation a success.
All the evacuees were later moved to the Rescue Centre, situated at Akinyele village in Akinyele Local Government Area, for profiling.
Speaking with newsmen at the centre, Mrs Christiana Abioye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, said that the exercise was aimed at ensuring mass evacuation of destitute persons, including beggars and the mentally sick.
Abioye said that the exercise was also to ensure that the lives of the destitute people and those of the general public were safe and secure.
According to her, the presence of the destitute persons in the society poses danger, as some of them can be agents for criminals.
She said that the present administration in the state was committed to making the state free of destitute persons, adding that the exercise would be a continuous one.
Abioye promised that the wellbeing of all the evacuees would be catered for, stressing that adequate care would be given to them.
She said that government would be feeding them three times per day at the rescue centre which, she said, was habitable
According to her, the mentally sick will be moved to the psychiatric section of Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan, for medical attention.
The permanent secretary of Ministry of Health, Dr Mufutau Ayoola, said a team of medical personnel was on ground at the centre to attend to the health challenges of the evacuees.
Ayoola said that his team, in collaboration with other ministries, would be giving the evacuees health education and sensitisation on the need to maintain hygienic environment.
He ruled out the possibility of outbreak of any disease at the centre, saying that his ministry would ensure that all the evacuees were given proper attention. (NAN)
