Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu, Chijioke Agwu, Abakliki, Magnus Eze, Enugu, Paul Orude, Bauchi

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MAS- SOB), yesterday, warned that Nigeria was sitting on a time bomb given the poor response by the federal and state governments to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It warned Igbo to be extra careful and maintain strict adherence to the advice and guidelines  by the World Health Organisation (WHO) against contracting the virus.

A statement by MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, said at the rate the virus was spreading, it might trigger more devastative deaths of citizens because both federal and state governments are not doing enough to protect citizens. Nigeria is sitting on a devastative ticking time bomb.

“Though the governors of Igboland are putting up some preventive measures in combating the dreadful virus in their respective states, MASSOB still believes that more drastic and eloquent efforts must be taken to alleviate
the traumatic, economical, health and social sufferings of the people of their respective states. We implore our governors to shun party and personal group politics in dealings with the people of their respective states. The current devastative situation does not require party loyalist or praise singers,” Madu said.

He charged MASSOB members to continue to abide by the directives given to them through their state coordinators concerning the best way of avoiding the pandemic.
Meanwhile, GovernorDave Umahi, has signed the Ebonyi State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulations, 2020 Bill into law.

In a speech at the ceremony, in Abakaliki, yesterday, Umahi said the law would help strengthen government’s resolve in the fight against coronavirus and other infections diseases ravaging the state.

The law also criminalised hoarding of food items, hiking of prices of food items and essential services in the state or creating artificial scarcity by dealers.

“It shall be an offence to artificially inflate the prices of foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the state.

“It shall be an offence to hoard foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the state or refusal
to provide foods, drugs and other essential goods and services within the state for people to buy,” according to the law.

Umahi said his administra- tion had continued to issue a number of directives, orders and guidelines that would help to ensure the safety and security of citizens against diseases.

He said the outbreak of coronavirus in China in late 2019 had compelled the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declareitaglobal pandemic with a charge to states to take speedy steps to curb its spread.

“Several caseshavebeen reported and are being treated in many states of the federation, including positive cases reported in our neighbouring Enugu State on March 27.”

He said signing the bill into law was in exercise of powers conferred on him by the provisions of the Ebonyi Coronavirus and Other Dan- gerous Infectious Diseases and Related Matters Law 005, 2020, Ebonyi Public Health Law Cap 126.

He said the regulations may be cited as the Infectious Diseases (Emergency Preven- tion) Regulations, 2020 and shall come into force on April 2.

“We have need to go a step further through enacting of laws to save lives, reduce ill health and ensure that
the economy, in which the people of Ebonyi operate, does not become weakened and stretched. All acts done prior to the commencement of these regulations to curtail the spread of COVID-19 are hereby ratified.

“The purpose of this regulation is to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19, Lassa fever, cholera, among others in the state.

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“I hereby declare that COVID-19 is a dangerous infectious disease within the meaning and intendment of Section 8 of the Ebonyi CoronavirusAnd Other Dangerous Infectious Diseases and Related Matters Law 005, 2020, Sections 2 & 8 of the Quarantine Act, Cap Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004,” the governor said.

Enugu fumigates markets, densely populated places

THE Enugu Government has commenced the fumigation of markets, bus stops and densely populated areas in a bid to checkmate the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Chief Fire Officer, Okwudili Ohaa, at a priers briefing, after Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi supervised the flag off of the exercise at the Ogbete main market on lamented that the agency’s major setback was residents’ disobedience to the stay at home order.

He said the exercise was impeded with residents still conducting businesses and roaming the streets.

According to Ohaa, the government made funds available to the fire service to embark on the fumigation of highly populated areas to prevent coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

He said that the fumigation would also be extended to isolation centres and the 17 local government areas and that it would be carried out at nights because of the movements of people.

“In Europe and America, you don’t see people on the streets, but here people are yet to obey the government order. At the artisan market, we went to fumigate it, but people are there and you can’t pour chemicals on people. The major hiccup is that people are not complying with the government directive that we stay at home, except people on essential duties,” Ohaa lamented.

He disclosed that the agency had so far fumigated Holy Ghost, Polo Mall, old Artisan market and parts of Nsukka areas.

Enugu designates Medical Diagnostic Centre as isolation centre

Enugu Government, in furtherance of its efforts to strengthen safety measures earlier instituted as well as the capacity of the state Health Care System to contain the pandemic, yesterday, approved the use of the ultramodern Enugu State Medical Diagnostic Centre as an additional COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre.

The government also announced the activation of a fully functional Coronavirus Disease Isolation and Treatment Centre equipped with requisite facilities at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital Parklane, Enugu.

These decisions were contained in a statement released by the Secretary to the Enugu State Govern- ment, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortunaya, after Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi led a team of government officials and heads of security agencies to monitor the level of compli- ance with government’s or- der closing markets and land boundaries as well as inspect health facilities in the state.

Ortunaya said the govern- ment equally activated a brand new hospital at G.R.A Nsukka to serve a COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre for Enugu North senatorial zone.

Ortuanya disclosed that the government had taken over and commenced extensive rehabilitation and reconstruction of the former Colliery Hospital, Enugu to expand the state capacity for coronavirus disease isolation and treatment, noting that it is collaborating with local government council chairmen to identify and designate isolation and treatment centres in their respective LGAs to ensure their preparedness in the event of possible spike in the COVID-19 burden within the state.

He equally ordered the full closure of the Ogbete Main Market for non-compliance with the state government’s order closing all market and land boundaries, which took effect from 6pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2020.