Actions Of Few Must Not Put All At Risk – FCT Minister

…Stresses commitment to enforce ban on inter-state travels

 BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has warned that anybody who, for any reason, flouts the directives of Federal Government on COVID-19 and is arrested, would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Bello specifically warned that the government would not allow the actions of a few citizens who are not conscious of the wellbeing of the majority to put all of us at risk.

The Minister, who gave the warnings at the FCT Security Committee meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2020, reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration to beef up enforcement of the guidelines regulating the easing of the lockdown in the FCT starting on Monday May 4, 2020.

Bello said that security agencies have reviewed their strategies on enforcing the ban on interstate travel and have adopted new ones to ensure full compliance.

In the words of the Minister; “The ban on interstate travel is essential in order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus either by infected persons coming into the FCT or on the other hand, infected persons from the FCT spreading the virus to other parts of the country.

“We also realized that one weak area that has confronted us is the fact that enforcement of the inter-state movement has not been very successful and that’s an area where if we are not very careful, will make it very difficult for us to prevent infection by people who are visiting the FCT from other parts of the country.

“By the same token also, if the enforcement is not very strong, infected people from the FCT will also move out to other states. At the end of the day, nationally, we all lose”.

Bello therefore announced that the security agencies will deploy additional personnel and resources to all the entry points using coordinated joint teams to be headed by very senior officers to ensure that the enforcement of the directive is carried out fully while being conscious of those that are permitted to move around.

According to him; “The ultimate objective of the FCTA and the security agencies is to safeguard the lives of the citizens of the FCT and by extension, the citizens of the surrounding states as well as Nigerians in general”.

The Minister advised residents to comply with the guidelines regulating the easing of the lockdown released earlier saying that it is the only way to ensure that the pandemic is controlled and contained in the FCT.

Bello further said; “The directives are very clear. Offices are open for specific categories of staff on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and within a specific time range of 8.00am to 2.00pm. So, my advice is anybody who has no reason to come out based on these directives should just stay at home. We have been at home for about four weeks now, another few weeks would do us good because if we are able to maintain the level of the virus in the FCT the way it has been maintained during the last few weeks, then by the grace of God Almighty, we will get over this.

“If you see how hard the security agencies have been working day and night, how hard the medical personnel have been working day and night, we owe them gratitude by ensuring that we comply with all protocols established, regarding health control and security control.

“I do hope that we will comply because in a matter of few weeks, by the grace of God, this thing will be over and we will go back to our normal daily lives,” Bello enthused.

The security meeting was attended by heads of the various military, para-military and intelligence organisations in the FCT as well as senior officials of the FCTA.