SAT, 24 OCT, 2020-theGBJournal-The 48-hour curfew which began in the Delta State on Thursday after hoodlums ransacked public buildings in the State capital, has been reversed to run every day from 6 pm to 8am.
The curfew was imposed by the State Governor, (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa following wanton destruction of public buildings and other property, including High Court Complex, Asaba and attack on Nigerian Correctional Service, Warri , Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Office, Asaba, by hoodlums, who hijacked the peaceful #ENDSARS protest in the state.
The current 48-hour curfew will expire by 6pm today Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.
“However, from this evening (Saturday), the curfew will be in effect from 6pm to 8am until further notice. From Sunday, Oct. 25, people are free to move around and go about their regular activities during the day,’’ the Governor said.
“I urge all the citizens and residents of our great state, Delta, to please remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding at all times,” he said.
The governor dispelled the rumour on social media that the state government was warehousing CA-COVID food palliatives at the Events Centre in Asaba, and said that all the food palliatives had long been distributed.
According to him, the state got accolades from CA-COVID for complying with the template prescribed for the distribution.
He said “I came here this morning because of the information we are receiving on social media.
“I am aware that the food items have long been distributed in line with the suggested guidelines and they were given to 197 households in every ward in the 270 Wards in the state.
“Delta State, in keeping with our agreement with CACOVID, had long distributed our own and I am surprised that people were still spreading false information on social media displaying pictures of the CA-COVID items at the time when I personally launched the distribution.
“At that time, I allowed the press to take photographs of what was there.
“For my dear Deltans, the palliatives have long been distributed and Delta State has received accolades from CA-COVID for doing the right thing – the food stuffs were sent to every ward, and the most indigent people in every ward.
“So I came here to the Event Centre to let people know, as you can see, that there is nothing here and the Event Centre has already been prepared for a programme as it was meant to be used for.
“To all Deltans, there are no food items at the Event Centre and anybody who comes here for any reason, the security agencies should please treat that person as a criminal because there is no foodstuff here.”
Okowa announced that he would meet with youth groups in Asaba and Warri in a few days, to discuss further on ways to achieve the reforms being canvassed by #ENDSARS protesters.
He appealed to Deltans to protect public property from being destroyed, explaining that it would be a setback to the state to start rebuilding what was destroyed.
Earlier, Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, had said that a total of 48,500 households were given the CA-COVID food palliatives in the state.
He said that a lot of youths had assembled at the Events Centre seeking to collect food palliatives, which they claimed were kept at the centre.
“They nominated three persons to come in with us to come and see for themselves that the Event Centre which had served as the Warehouse for the CA-COVID palliatives that was sent to the state is now empty, cleared and now set up for use as an Event Centre.
“We received palliatives from CACOVID and we flagged off the distribution. We worked strictly with the guideline given to us by CA-COVID to ensure that the palliatives were distributed to the vulnerable persons in Delta State, and a total of 48,500 households benefited from the exercise,” Ebie added.
Meanwhile, the State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, while on inspection of torched buildings in the State said that hoodlums who hid under the guise of #ENDSARS protest to perpetuate arson and destruction of public and private assets in the state will face the law.
Places visited by the governor were Koka Modern Leisure Park, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) office, both on Asaba-Benin Expressway and the High Court Complex on Ibusa road, Asaba.
He said that he was in support of the reforms in the country being championed by the #ENDSARS peaceful protesters, and condemned the act of the hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful protest to loot, maim, kill and cause unrest in the state.
The governor called on residents of the state to be vigilant and also synergize with security operatives and the government in fashioning out ways to arrest and prosecute those behind the dastardly act.
“Unfortunately it appears some people are not quite happy with the beautification we have done here and they decided to vent their anger and criminality on the gardens; they destroyed everything, cut down trees just to deface the city.
“It’s very unfortunate and you can see that a lot of damage has been done to the High Court that was set on fire.
“I know that is not the intention of those who started the protest but the criminal elements among us have come in and tried to perpetrate this level of arson and violence. It’s obviously unacceptable, and our people must generally condemn it and I believe that even our youths, themselves, are quite unhappy with this. I urge our youths to stay vigilant because we cannot allow miscreants and criminals to destroy our collective will to develop this place,’’ he said.
The governor disclosed that he had made calls to those helping to supervise the Warri area, and said that everything was going on smoothly in the axis.
The Governor urged all our traditional rulers and opinion leaders to please call our communities up and ask them to defend our collective will and purpose to develop this state because we cannot allow people to conduct themselves in such a manner that will commit this level of arson that we have seen.
“We will continue to dialogue with our youths, those who meant well by asking for reforms, but for the criminal elements, the law will have to take its course.”
He urged the security agencies to ensure that the new curfew regime, dusk-to-dawn, in the state was enforced across the state till further notice.
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