By Balogun Damilola
Delta State government has gone tougher with the enforcement of the interstate lockdown restriction order as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa directs the impoundment of any vehicle violating the order.
Operators of such vehicles, he said also risked prosecution.
Okowa who monitored compliance of the order at some boundaries between Delta and neighbouring states weekend, directed security agents and members of the state’s Task Force at the boundaries to only allow vehicles carrying agricultural products and those on essential duties into the state.
The places visited include Niger Bridge boundary between Delta and Anambra and at Alifikede, the boundary community between the state and Edo on the Benin-Asaba highway, There are 13 boundaries in the state.
Okowa reminded security agents and members of the state’s Task Force at the boundaries that only vehicles carrying agricultural products and those on essential duties should be allowed into the state.
Okowa charged the security operatives and members of the task force to be vigilant so as to detect unauthorized movements and stop them from gaining entrance into the state.
Gov Okowa, however, dismissed reports of an alleged influx of almajiris into the state, adding that the task force had been directed to check every vehicle coming into the state.
“We have given instructions to those manning the boundaries to ensure that every vehicle is checked and anyone carrying more than the authorised number of passengers, especially the motor boy and the driver should be turned back.”
“Any number beyond that should be turned back and I can see that they have been doing that and I haven’t been briefed of the influx of almajiris into the state,” he explained.
He affirmed that anyone caught without a face mask in a public place would be quarantined in an isolation centre.
He called on well-spirited Nigerians to assist the state government in the provision of more face masks for the people as the government could not do it alone.
The governor also reiterated the call on residents to practise physical distancing, the regular wearing of face mask, routine washing of hands with running water and soap or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and other precautionary measures that would keep the pandemic at bay.