Anthony Iwuoma
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has announced agreement with his Enugu State counterpart, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to erect gates at the boundaries between Enugu and Ebonyi states in order to tighten security and prevent ‘foreigners’ from coming into the two states through the boundaries.
Governor Umahi made the disclosure, on Wednesday, during a statewide broadcast.
According to him, “I spoke with the Enugu State governor and we agreed to share the building of the gate together. It is still on my mind to build gates at our borders so that when we lock it, we just go home. We will build it in such a way that even if you want to go through the bush, you cannot pass.
“I am going to be very strict on these border restrictions. If there were restrictions of borders, we wouldn’t have even one case in Ebonyi State; that is the truth,” Governor Umahi said.
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He also revealed that a couple and their three-year-old child have tested positive to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ebonyi State.
He added that the state had so far discharged majority of the suspected COVID-19 cases after they tested negative.
He continued, “We have tested 818 persons mostly from Ebonyi and other states from the south east and south south zones and 396 tested negative while we issued them discharge certificates.
“378 suspected cases which tested negative were treated of other symptoms such as cough and released to go home.”
The governor also added that 55 returnees from other states were currently being isolated in Abakaliki, with 37 of them awaiting results of their tests.
On the couple that tested positive for the virus with their child, Governor Umahi said the government was doing its best, managing the victim’s one and a half-year-old sibling, who tested negative for the virus.
The governor continued, “The child is still being breastfed and doctors have appealed to her parents to isolate her so that she does not get infected.
“The state government has pledged to cater for the child. We urge her parents to provide a child care giver or we provide one to take care of her.
“They have, however, held on to the child and we view through Close Circuit Television (CCTV) how they pull her clothes and breast-feed her.
“I want doctors to make inquiries on what to do on the matter and we will do it even by force.”
He urged traditional rulers and other stakeholders of communities to impress it on their people resident outside the state to remain at their bases for now.
Responding to requests for palliatives by the people, Governor Umahi said, “There have been requests from our people in Lagos, Abuja and other areas for palliatives but we cannot release such to everybody presently.
“The problem is that when you give to one area, others will request for theirs but we can only release palliatives to our people in Lagos and Abuja presently.
“We will release 2,000 bags of 5kg rice and N5 million to those in Abuja and 4,000 bags of 5kg rice with N10 miliion to those in Lagos.”
Governor Umahi harped on the need for complying with all guidelines put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19, and also urged the people to be cautious in consuming drugs made of lemon, ginger and garlic, such as Madagascar’s COVID ORGANICS.
“We have in this period of forgiveness, pardoned all political office holders suspended or placed on half salary over negligence of anti-COVID- 19 enforcement duties.
“We have also pardoned all persons awaiting trial for violating various COVID-19 precautionary regulations; released all vehicles and motorcycles impounded for similar offences.”
He expressed displeasure with people that are still sceptical about COVID-19.
“For those who still think that Covid-19 is political, I pity them so much. Why can’t you come and prove that by coming to our treatment centres?
“We will give you access and you will come and embrace those who have it, we will allow you to do that. That is the way to prove that the disease is not real; not on Facebook.
“In our efforts at the local governments, we have a total of 31 people being held at the holding centre in Ohaozara Local Government, Ebonyi Local Government (72), Abakaliki Local Government (31), Ezza North (28), Ohaukwu (35), Ishielu (23), Afikpo North (35), Onicha Local Government (23), Ivo (one), Afikpo South (32), Ezza South (16), Ikwo (35), and Izzi (31). Total is 438.
“Our directive is that these people that are committed to the holding centres, they are noted and we will take their samples and test after 14 days and if they test negative, we will release them with discharge certificates,” the governor said.
