…As State Lifts Ban On Wedding, Burial
- Police Arrest 121 Persons Over Alleged Violation Of Covid-19 Protocol
From Joseph Obukata (The New Diplomat’s N/Delta Correspondent)
Governor Udom Emmanuel has said that Akwa Ibom State was yet to receive one naira from the federal government to support the fight against the dreadful COVID-19 in the state.
The governor spoke as he lifted ban on weddings and burials in the state imposed in March in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Akwa Ibom is currently in number 27 position on the COVID-19 leaderboard with 104 confirmed cases, 48 active cases, 54 treated and discharged and 2 deaths.
Governor Emmanuel had in April declared that he had spent about N1 billion so far on the management of COVID-19 in the state.
The governor said, the N1 billion was spent on procuring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the building of 300-bed isolation centre and the purchase of consumables.
According to him, the State has not gotten anything from the Federal Government apart from 1800 bags of rice which he said were not fit for consumption.
Giving an update on the pandemic and the state government resolution to lift the ban, Governor Emmanuel, said it is “extremely expensive” to manage COVID-19 cases.
“Some of the drugs, we are running out of stock. And how to replenish the stock we don’t know because a whole lot of them are not manufactured here in Nigeria.
“I don’t want us to get to a point where we are overwhelmed.
“As I am talking, I am yet to receive one naira from the federal government to support our fight against COVID-19,” he said.
He, however, urged those who wish to organise funeral ceremonies and weddings in the state to ensure they follow COVID-19 protocols.
“If you are doing funeral in an open space like a field in a primary school you must not have more than 50 people. We are not forcing you to do the burial, but if you must do it, you must do it within our guidelines. Not more than 50 people and you must adhere to all our guidelines which was drafted by the Christian Association of Nigeria,” Mr Emmanuel said during a live radio and television interview in Uyo.
“They (people attending the burial) must all wear facemask, have hand sanitisers, (and adhere to) everything that has been outlined by CAN.
“If you are doing the burial inside the church, people inside should not be more than 30,” Mr Emmanuel said.
The governor said the same condition is applicable to those wanting to do weddings in the state, adding that monitoring teams would be dispatched to monitor and ensure strict compliance with the guidelines.
He appealed to pastors to help in the implementation of the guidelines so as to halt the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
“Please we don’t want anybody to expose himself or his own family. If you must go out, wear a facemask. If you don’t feel like wearing mask, please stay at home. A lot of people are asymptomatic to this and they keep infecting other people without knowing. And we don’t want this to continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, 121 persons have been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for allegedly violating Covid 19 protocol.
Police Public Relations Officer, Fredricks N-Nudam, Chief Superintendent of Police, who made the disclosure, said the arrest was in line with the provisions of relevant law of the state government.
He said the offenders would be arranged in a special court set up in the three senatorial districts of the state.
The statement said, “in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the State, in line with the provisions of the Quarantine and Restriction of Movement (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2020, has arrested one hundred and twenty-one (121) violators.
“The arrested offenders would be arraigned in the special courts established in the three senatorial Districts to serve as deterrent to others.
“Consequently, the Police Command enjoins the good people of the State to always use facemasks in public places as the Command will continue to arrest and prosecute violators.”
