Edo State government has placed a ban on street trading, as part of new measures to enforce social distancing and check the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.
Speaking during a press briefing last Thursday, deputy governor, Philip Shaibu said the measure was being taken to restrict movement and ensure compliance to social distancing and other directives imposed by the state government to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Noting that the state government is working on more stringent measures to ensure total compliance to different directives aimed at checking the spread of COVID-19, he said, “As part of these measures, we hereby announce a ban on street trading, as an additional measure to restrict contacts among people and enforce social distancing.
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“This is in the light of the fact that markets have been moved to public and primary school premises to facilitate trading in essential commodities such as food and medicines, among others.”
He noted, “The government has set up screening centres across Oredo Local Government Area (starting with six Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and four private hospitals) to actualise our plans to screen 500,000 persons with the ultimate goal of testing 5000 persons. These would be scaled to other local government areas across the state.”
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to complement the state government’s fight against the spread of coronavirus, a socio-political group, the Godwin Obaseki Support Group (GOSG), has doled out palliatives to its coordinators across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Director-general of the group, Henry Imogiemhe Idogun, said the package would enable the leaders to effectively take the campaign against the spread of the virus to their various communities, as well as cushion the economic effect of the pandemic.
The group plans to reach over 5,000 residents across the 18 LGAs through its sensitisation and awareness campaign, noting that the coordinators have been empowered to lead the course.
Idogun, who noted that government alone cannot win the fight against the pandemic, urged residents to support the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s efforts at protecting the lives of the people by observing precautionary measures and other guidelines against the spread of the virus.
He said while the government is deploying relief materials to the poorest of the poor in the state, including the elderly, physically challenged, widows, among others, to assuage the economic hardship caused by the restrictions imposed in the state to curtail the spread of coronavirus, other affluent Edo sons and daughters must emulate the gesture to save the lives of people.
The director-general noted, “This is the best time to be our brother’s keeper as many vulnerable persons in the society can barely feed. We urge good-spirited Nigerians to emulate the gesture of the government by giving to those truly in need during this period of partial lockdown.
“We are certain that together we will win the war against this common enemy that has caused global disruption. We urge all residents to stay at home and observe social distancing guidelines and other precautionary measures against the spread of the disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you must go out, kindly ensure to wear facemasks. Always cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing.”
A senior member of the group, Lambert Ugorji, said the palliatives to the coordinators were a way of complementing the distribution of relief materials by the state.
