FCTA Bans Okada In Abuja, Issues New Guidelines On COVID-19

Lawenforcement officials setting up barrier to ensure restriction of traffic andpedestrians in compliance with the Federal Government directive for a totallockdown contain the spread of COVID-19, at Gado Nasco Road in Kubwa, Abuja on Tuesday (image courtesy: Hogan Bassey/ICE/NAN)

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has issued new measures and guidelines to help in its fight against the spread of COVID-19.

This is due to the failure of some parts of the FCT to comply to the restriction of movement declared to curb the spread of the virus.

Part of the new measures includes the banning of motorcycles popularly known as Okada in certain parts of Abuja.

A statement signed by Anthony Ogunleye, the Chief Press Secretary to FCT Minister  reads: “The FCT has been quite fortunate to have maintained a relatively stable number of COVID- 19 positive cases and the FCT Administration is making efforts to ensure that there is no escalation in the number of positive cases returned from the Territory;

“While the level of compliance has been satisfactory at the Federal Capital City (FCC) over the first few days of the lockdown, the same cannot be said about the satellite towns located at the various area councils where residents there have largely ignored the lockdown directive;

“However, over the past few days, adherence to the lockdown directives at the City Center has also deteriorated;

“Residents have used the excuse of going to the markets to flout the lockdown directives and traders selling non-essential food commodities have also used this window to open their shops in clear violation of the directives not to do so;

“Despite the directives that residents should patronize neighborhood shops and markets within their districts and not move from one district to the other to buy their essential items in order to minimize movement of people and vehicles across the city, this has largely been flouted as well;

“In order to ensure that the FCT does not witness an escalation in the number of COVID-19 positive cases and prevent a public health emergency, the FCT Administration has resolved on the following new measures to enforce the cessation of movement and ensure its compliance by residents of the FCT. They include the following;

“Market operational days are henceforth reduced to two days in a week namely Wednesdays and Saturdays only;

“Residents should patronize only neighborhood markets as movement from one district to the other now constitutes a violation of the lockdown;

“Mobile courts will now be activated to try all violators of the directive on the cessation of movement across the FCT;

“Motorcycles (Okada) are henceforth barred from operating anywhere in Kubwa and Dutse Alhaji during the lockdown;

“The FCTA will step up sensitization efforts especially in the rural communities and enjoins Area Council, Chairmen, traditional rulers and community leaders to actively engage in sensitizing the populace on the dangers of COVID -19;

“The FCT Administration remains deeply committed to ensuring that the COVID-19 pandemic remains controlled in the FCT and seeks the cooperation of all residents in curtailing its spread especially into our rural and suburban communities.”

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