Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed the 17 Local Government chairmen, neigbourhood watch groups and traditional rulers to man their council borders to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Simon Ortuanya in Enugu on Thursday said this followed reports that persons on non-essential duties had continued to traverse the boundaries of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state recently recorded a new index case of COVID-19 after two previous cases were discharged.
The governor directed the council chairmen to also mobilise Development Centre administrators, councillors, town union Presidents General and youth leaders to man the boundaries that are contiguous with other states.
He also directed the Council Chairmen to liaise with members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, Association of Tricycle Riders Transport Union and Motorcycle Riders Union to ensure that intending passengers beyond Enugu State were not allowed to board vehicles in motor parks within their jurisdiction.
Ortuanya urged them to ensure that passengers conveyed from outside the state were not allowed to disembark within their Local Government Council Areas.
According to him, vehicles of erring operators will be impounded and handed over to law enforcement agents for appropriate action.
“This condemnable conduct compromises the current efforts of the state government to contain the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
“The border control activities in all Local Government Council Areas in Enugu State that are contiguous with other states will be intensified at night-time, which is the time most of the infractions occur,” he said.
The SSG warned that any person or group caught aiding and abetting the illegal traverse through the state borders would be arrested and handed over to security agencies for prosecution.
Ortuanya noted that these decisions were in furtherance of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s determination “as ever to contain the spread of the contagion in Enugu State and protect residents from avoidable morbidity and mortality.
In a related development, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Ikechukwu Obi has disclosed that it had began contact tracing of the new COVID-19 patient in the state.
Obi urged those that had contact with the woman who returned from Jos, Plateau to submit themselves for testing.
He said that the police had sealed the residence of the patient at No 66 Nike Road, Abakpa Nike for fumigation and contact tracing.