Abuja stakeholders want strict compliance to COVID-19 protection regulations

A stakeholders meetings in Abuja is advising a strict compliance with the provisions of the Coronavirus Disease Health Protection Regulation 2021 as released by the Presidential Task Force on cOVID-19.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has bought into the position of the stakeholders even as the government is contemplating shutting parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Plateau States to stem growing COVID-19 infections.

The targeted lockdown, according to the National Incident Manager of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad, is not total in the country because the infections are more rampant in select urban areas.

He adds in a television interview, “A couple of weeks back, we analysed the data and we identified the hotspot local government areas,” the National Incidence Manager of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“Mostly, the areas affected are the urban local governments in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Plateau. Even in most other states, it is the urban areas that are involved. So, if we are going to have any restrictions, it will be in these areas.

“The urban areas are the most affected and that is why we have these superspreaders and that is where we are going to target. We have analysed that and we are advising the states based on the data that these are the focused areas where these transmissions are more than the others.”

The Abuja stakeholders meeting which was chaired by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello also had in attendance the Honourable Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the National Incidence Manager of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, political, traditional and religious leaders as well as heads of the various security agencies in the FCT.

Other resolutions reached include the need for the FCT Administration to sanction erring corporate organisations and ensure the effective use of the mobile court system for trial of offenders.

The FCT will also increase public education and community engagement following a baseline assessment of how much the populace know about the virus and launch massive awareness campaigns across the 6 Area Councils of the FCT to further sensitize members of the public on COVID-19.

Noting that commercial transportation is one of the major modes of transmitting the disease, it was resolved that all road transport unions will be engaged to ensure strict enforcement of the provisions of the regulations.

The meeting further resolved that there was the need for traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to fully mobilise and enlighten their various constituents on the need to fully comply with the resolutions. This is in addition to ensuring strict compliance in all the markets across the FCT.

While all public and private schools are to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the regulations, it was also resolved that there was the need for the provision of affordable face masks for members of the public.

Speaking earlier the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello said that even though the FCT is regarded as an epicenter, the Administration has been successful in its response to the disease and assured of the FCTA’s preparedness to fight the second wave through the cooperation of all the stakeholders across the Territory.

His words, “My appeal to you is that please, let us work hard, particularly at the community level and that is why I am so happy to see that out of the six Area Council Chairmen, five are present today”.

He disclosed that the Task Force on COVID-19 guidelines enforcement will be re-invigorated to ensure that enforcement cascades down to the community and grassroots level while reminding the security agencies that enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines was now a presidential directive that must be implemented.