By Austin Ajayi, Yola
Determined to prevent the dreaded COVID -19 from entering Adamawa state Governor Ahamdu Umaru Fintiri has placed a travel ban in and out of the state
And also placed other restrictions including the ban on social gathering of more 50 people, stay at home and worship your God, tricycle operator to only carry two passengers at a time, all these measures is prevent the virus from the state.
He also ordered that defaulters will be put in Isolation Centers, vehicles of those that flaunts this orders will be impounded .
Three days after relaxing the lockdown, 90% of these orders has been disregard with the security agencies aiding and abetting residents, tricycle operators to disregard this preventing efforts of the governor.
Today residents has totally disregard social distancing order that has been recommended as one of the best way to stop the spread the virus, religious leaders are in the forefront of breaking this order.
The Adamawa state governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has warned the public against flaunting his inter state travel ban saying defaulters would be detained at the point of entry and confined to the nearest isolation center at local governments in the state.
The governor who cautioned that the lifting of the stay-at-home order must be respected alongside the sustained ban on movement into and out of the state as defaulters would have their vehicles impounded at the point of entry and all passengers detained in isolation centers in the nearest local governments.
But at Lafia, the boarder town between Adamawa and Gombe has been of high traffic as vehicles were seen in and out of the state with the police at the ” checkpoint ” having feel day enriching themselves at the risk of the lives of the people of the state when Authority Newspaper visited the town.
Finitri, while suspending the lockdown, had said his government is committed to keeping the state off the coronavirus map in the country, hence the need to extend its ban on movements into and out of the state as necessary but painful measure to curb the inter-state transfer of the disease.
He reassured citizens that his government will not relent in its efforts to putting in place stringent measures to ensure residents of the state continue to obey social distancing order, maintain limits on number of gathering to within fifty persons, among other hygiene habits to be maintained to ensure public safety and to keep the state free of the virus.
While reassuring the public of his government’s commitment in the fight against coronavirus, he however reinforced his government’s position that all private and public schools must remain locked down.
The lifting of ban on tricycle operators is one area residents view that the governor should have a review, 85% of tricycle operators are disregarding the two passengers at a time, most or them carry up to six including the rider.
Worst, is the the fact that most of the passengers who allowed themselves to squeeze in this manner in a tricycle are educated civil servants and often times the police allows this riders to go free after “handshake “.
The questions been asked now is how sincere are we to prevent this virus from our state, when the security agencies, the clergy, the tricycle operators the civil servants , the market men and women even the elite are not observing simple rule?
Fintiri had said, “his administration will not relent in its commitment to keep Adamawa State off the COVID-19 pandemic Map and no effort will be spared to do so”.
Adding that “for the avoidance of doubt, any vehicle conveying passengers into the State will be impounded at the entry point and the occupants moved into a quarantine Centre, in the boarder Local Government, to be established by the State COVID-19 Containment Committee.
“As a responsible government, we remain on high alert and will do everything to keep the state COVID-19 free.
As determined the governor is, in preventing the virus from the state and upon the resumption of work last Wednesday, the streets of Yola, the Adamawa state capital, is a picture of the flagarant disregard for every preventive measure against the novel coronavirus.
Social distancing caution completely thrown to the wind, as markets, banks maintain crowded queus.
Tricycle operators, expected to transport only two passengers at a time, are seen doing business as usual or even worst than before.
The time for government to take a more proactive measure is now! to avoid witnessing what is happening in Kano state.
