COVID-19: Compliance rate on restriction order in Ekiti 60 per cent — Police Commissioner
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr Amba Asuquo, has rated the residents’ rate of compliance with the movement restriction order imposed by Governor Kayode Fayemi at 60 per cent.
Gov Fayemi had on Sunday directed residents in the state to stay at home from last Monday as he intensified efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus scourge.
In his broadcast, the governor imposed a ban on all commercial activities and intra-state travels, but exempted activities bordering on essential services.
Expressing regrets that past measures he adopted to curtail the virus were being brazenly ignored, Fayemi said defaulters of this new directive risked a six-month jail term.
He said, “It is very disappointing that some of us have either been lukewarm, nonchalant or downright defiant in observing the simple but extremely effective preventive measures, as well as maintaining social distancing to protect themselves from infection and curtail the spread of the virus in their communities.
“If we do not take steps necessary to contain this virus, it has the potential to overwhelm our health infrastructure, cripple our economy and devastate Ekiti in unimaginable proportions. As you are aware, the state is under significant financial constraints, especially as a direct consequence of the impact of the coronavirus on the global economy and the price of crude oil that has gone down considerably. So, we cannot afford a public health crisis.”
Assessing the compliance rate yesterday of the stayat-home order, Asuquo expressed hope it would be better from today and appealed to the residents to observe the instruction.
The Ekiti State Task Force on COVID-19 yesterday toured all major markets and roads in the state to ensure compliance. Many commercial motorcycles of operators who disobeyed the government directive had their motorbikes impounded by security agents.
The task force included officials of the Nigerian Army, the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ekiti State Transport Management Agency and Ekiti State Peace Corps.
A commercial motorcyclist, Jimoh Ibrahim, whose motorcycle the officials impounded, said he thought the restriction order would be starting today. “I don hear am today. Dem don collect my okada. Na who I go beg now to help me collect my okada?” Ibrahim lamented.
In the markets they visited, the officials ordered people considered as not having any business there to go home and observe the restriction order.
Places the task force visited included Bisi market, Erekesan market, Atikankan and Okeyinmi