Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has ordered the immediate isolation of a former Commissioner for Information in the State, Chief Abia Onyike, for defying the COVID-19 lockdown law.
The order was part of outcome of the Governor’s periodic briefing and statewide broadcast on COVID-19 Situation in the State, held on Thursday at the Government House, Abakaliki.
Onyike on entering the state made his way towards his village in Afikpo South Local Government Area, where he was reportedly barred from entering by his Caretaker Chairman, Okechukwu Ogbuagu Chima.
He was said to have proceeded to an undisclosed residence in Abakaliki, the Capital city, where he took abode.
Umahi during the briefing, directed the Department of State Services to immediately ensure that Onyike was made to go on compulsory isolation for 14 days.
He maintained that allowing Onyike to mingle freely with people at this point would pose great impediment to the State Government’s fight against the pandemic.
The Governor also insisted that Onyike should be made to undergo compulsory COVID-19 test, adding that the law should not spare the “big men” of the society.
He however, added that Onyike was free to choose the place he would want to be tested if he so desired.
Umahi, who gave the breakdown of the COVID-19 statistics in the State, said 162 positive cases has so far been recorded, with 72 persons discharged and 90 active cases.
Umahi explained: “We continue to appeal to our people to ensure that if you come from outside, that you will submit yourself to NCDC protocols.
“I am told by one of the Chairmen that Abia Onyike came from outside into the State and the Chairman is insisting that they should not allow him to come into the village.
“But he is in another man’s place, which is in the capital city, which is also dangerous.
“So, we are directing the Director, SSS to take him at his property by ensuring that they assist him in social distancing and if he doesn’t have confidence in our testing here in Ebonyi, he should do it in Enugu.
“But he should isolate himself in his house, if he has a house here.
“He is already in the capital city, so people should not disturb him, but if he wants to isolate in the village, the Chairman should allow him and let the Director, SSS handle it.
“But he must compulsorily isolate for 14 days, and if he does not, it will not be good.
“It means that we are respecting big men and compelling small people to obey the law.
“And that applies to every other big man.”
Governor Umahi, during the event, informed that the Chairman, sub-committee on palliatives and Speaker of the State House of Assembly would by next briefing articulate for broadcast all the palliatives to the State from the Federal Government and other sources as well as the modalities for their distribution.
He frowned at the level of non-compliance to COVID-19 precautionary measures, especially face masks at the Ebonyi International Market, threatening that he would be forced to totally close down the market within the next seven days if noticeable improvements were not seen.
He also warned that he may also be forced to close all religious worship centres if the protocols continue to be violated, adding they have breached the agreement reached earlier with the government by their leadership.
Umahi, who urged Ebonyians not to panic over the pandemic, assured that the government was on top of the situation, adding that it demands both faith and work, rather than sympathy to conquer.
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