From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
As the first phase of decontamination and fumigation exercise embarked upon by Enugu state government, as part of proactive measures to control spread of corona virus disease ends today, the state fire service, an agency thtough which the exercise was conducted said a total of 35 ,marktets in the state were decontaminated.
The State Chief Fire officer,Engr Okwudili Ohaa, gave the hints while speaking to news men after decontaminating Orba modern market, in Udenu local government area of the state.
He stressed thst with effective logistics provided by Governor Ugwuanyi led administrstion,his agency left no stone unturned in the discharge of their duties, to have disinfected 35 markets instead of ,23 markets targeted in the first phase of the exercise, which ends today.
His words,”Here today at Orba modern market ,we observed total compliance from the traders.As you can see the whole stalls in the market are locked up, unlike in some other markets where we experienced pockets of resistance.
“As we are rounding up the first phase of the decontamination exercise which started on April 1 tomorrow, I am happy to inform you that we completed over 99.9 percent of the areas marked out for disinfection, as we decontaminated a total of 35 markets including some public places”
“I am giving kudos to Enugu state government under the leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for providing all the logistics that enabled us to perform effectively, as you have seen we also worked on Easter holidays so as to meet our target”.
The Enugu state Chief fire officer,Engr Ohaa,disclosed that his agency still have enough materials provided by the state government, to continue on the next phase of decontamination exercise even when the fight against COVID-19 scourge is won.
It was observed that Engr Ohaa with a combined team of fire officers from Enugu and Orba offices,adequately fumigated the various sections of Orba modern market, the market abattoirs and it’s surrounding environments. Including the Obollo A for park.
Engr Ohaa commended the officials of the Orba Fire Service center for living up to expectations, having disinfected some other rural markets within the given period of the first phase of decontamination exercise.
The chairman of Orba Modern market trader’s association, Mr Charles Ezeugwu and the treasurer, Mr Paul Eze,who witnessed the conduct of decontamination exercise at Orba market by officials of Enugu state fire service, commended Governor Ugwuanyi for taking such proactive steps to halt the spread of corona virus disease in Enugu state. Moreso, for extending the services to Orba modern market in Udenu local government area in the state.
He assured that the traders are in total compliance of all the other proactive measures canvassed by the state government to curtail spread of COVID-19 in Enugu state,stating that is the much reason why the entire market was locked down and the traders staying at home.
Further, the Chairman of Orba modern market traders association, Mr Charles Ezeugwu, expressed gratitude to Governor Ugwuanyi for having donated Fire extinguishers and other fire equipments to the market. He disclosed that the Fire extinguishers enhanced the control of a fire outbreak in the market a few months ago,without which they would have experienced a serious fire disaster in the market.
Commenting on the exercise, the chairman of Udenu local government area,Hon Solomon Onah commended the State Fire service for decontaminating Orba modern market.He disclosed that the council authority under his watch has embarked on creating awareness of the COVID-19 pande!ic in am nook and cranny of Udenu council area,using town criers and other oral media methods,in compliance to the directive of the state government to all the 17 council chairmen in the state.
Hon Onah extolled Governor Ugwuanyi for initiating the decontamination strategy as one of the proactive measures of preventing COVID-19 spread in Enugu state and urged the people of Udenu local government areas to embrace other measures such as regular washing of hands and social distancing,even as they are complying to the stay at home order.
It would be recalled that the first phase of decontamination exercise in Enugu state which is being concluded today,started on April 1,with it’s flag off at Ogbete main market in Enugu by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, enjoined by some members of the state executive council,the state commissioner of police, and other security agencies, including leadership of Ogbete market traders association.
Enugu state is the second state to adopt decontamination/disinfection strategy of preventing corona virus disease spread, after Lagos state.
