Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has announced 12-hour dusk to dawn curfew on the state as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor who made this known during his statewide broadcast on Sunday morning said the curfew would begin from 11:59 pm Monday 30th March and would last for 14 days at first instance.
He explained the curfew would be from 7 pm to 7 am, adding that all borders to the state would be closed during the period of the curfew.
He lamented that some residents were not taking precautionary measures such as handwashing with soap under running water and observing social distancing to curtail the pandemic.
While explaining that the index case in the state was is in stable condition at the isolation centre, he advised residents to remain calm and obey all government directives aimed at stopping the further spread of the pandemic in the state.
According to Fayemi, ” It is an urgent public interest that we must ensure strict compliance with all directives given to prevent community spreading of the disease. Therefore, in our collective interest and to further ensure the safety of Ekiti-kete, having declared Coronavirus (COVID- 19) infectious disease in Ekiti State, I hereby, in pursuant to Section 8 of the Quarantine Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) impose a curfew of movement in Ekiti State.
“The purpose of this curfew is to impose restrictions on the movement of persons and goods within Ekiti State for an initial period of fourteen days. This is in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in Ekiti State.
“Therefore, effective from 23H59 (11:59 pm) on Monday, March 30, 2020, until 23H59 (11:59 pm) on Monday, April 13, 2020, there shall be restriction of movement across the length and breadth of Ekiti State, with all our borders closed. That is a full and total shut down of Ekiti State, and 12-hour dusk to dawn curfew in Ekiti State from 7:00 pm – 7:00 am. All Ekiti residents are hereby directed to stay–at–home.
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“We are implementing the Quarantine Act to keep all Ekiti residents safe. So let me be clear. If you do not go home or stay home for at least fourteen (14) days as from Monday, 30 March 2020, you could face serious fines or prison term.
“All boundaries of Ekiti State are closed during this period, except for transportation of fuel, food and drugs and other essential goods. All non-residents who arrive the state prior to, or after, the imposition of this restriction, and who remain in the state, must remain in their place of temporary residence in the state for the duration of the 14 days, as the case may be, and maybe subjected to screening for COVID-19 and be quarantined or isolated if necessary.”
He declared anyone who contravened the directives would be liable to fine or conviction, “or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
He stressed that the government was aware of the negative impact the lockdown would have on businesses and households, noting that the Task Force would soon reel out the modalities for distribution of food items to the vulnerable families across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He added that stipends would also be paid to entrepreneurs, “whose daily income will be interrupted at this time as subsidy for their loss of income.
“The coming days are definitely going to be unusual and somewhat unpleasant, but if this is what it takes to ensure our collective safety, I urge you all to cooperate with the government and make the sacrifice,” he said.
Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum advised the Federal Government to make provision for the establishment of more testing centres across the country, while also soliciting economic stimulus for Nigerians affected by measures of government.
He said: “We need the Federal Government to accelerate the establishment of more testing centres whilst at the same time allowing testing to be done by private laboratories and also give approval for the use of quick test-kits as a way of halting community spread of the virus.”
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