An emergency meeting of the expanded Ebonyi State Security Council has resolved to fully lock down the state in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting presided over by the state governor, Dave Umahi took place on Saturday at the new governor’s office, centenary city, Abakaliki.
Also in attendance were the State Security Council Members, Council Chairmen, Leaders of the Development Centre Coordinators’ Forum and members of the State COVID-19 Central Committee.
Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for information and State Orientation and Acting Commissioner, Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Barr. Orji Uchenna said the full lockdown of the Communities and Villages will be from 7 pm to 7 am while all state borders, entry and exit points shall be closed down against all movements including those on essential services with effect from today, 18th April 2020.
“All businesses and movements shall start from 7 am and end by 7 pm daily.
“CCTV shall be mounted at all the borders and connected to the COVID-19 Central Monitoring Smart Phones of the Central Committee members.
“All Government officials at the Local Government Areas, including Technical Assistants, Senior Technical Assistants and Executive Assistants are to immediately move to the borders and exit points of their Areas.
“Each border shall have 7 blockages manned by separate teams including the Army, Police, other Security Agencies, Neighbourhood Watch, CAN, Council Chairmen/Coordinators and their team and Town Union/Traditional Rulers and at a distance that will be determined by the Deputy Governor:
The government warned that bribery in all borders is outlawed and both the giver and the receiver will be arrested and charged according to Ebonyi State COVID-19 Laws.
It further warned that henceforth, all Council Chairmen and Councilors whose border areas are porous will be suspended and all appointees whose borders are leaking shall be removed from office.
“Very soon, palliatives shall be distributed and shall be on polling unit by polling unit basis, through the government functionaries from the various polling units.
“Conditional Cash Transfer list shall be compiled without consideration to political party affiliations.
“Disbursement of State Government interventions for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and Agricultural programmes are suspended. Members of the public are to cooperate with the Council Chairmen in their efforts to compile the list of beneficiaries for Conditional Cash Transfer and other Central Bank of Nigeria Agricultural Interventions. People are encouraged to participate in the 5-Star Cassava and Rice Programmes of the Federal Government,” Orji noted.
The Ebonyi Government said it will embark on COVID-19 House to House testing exercise for the next two weeks targeting at the returnees, sick persons etc.
According to the commissioner, the state government is to test not less than 2000 households within the next two weeks.
