Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, Tuesday personally kept vigil at the boundary between his state and Akwa Ibom State, to enforce his government’s order banning human and vehicular movements into the state.
Ayade who arrived the Calabar-Itu head bridge before mid-night on Tuesday, spent several hours with members of the State Covid-19 task force and departed at about 9am on Wednesday.
As a consequence, there were long lines of vehicles on both sides of the boundary, as the taskforce members prevented movement across the boundary.
At about 8am the following morning, the Governor personally screened trapped vehicles, allowing only those on essential services, including newspaper distributors to make it through the boundary, after being tested by medical personnel.
Those considered to be on non-essential services, were turned back.
Governor Ayade, while speaking to journalists, said he was denying himself sleep so that the people of the state can have peace and feel safe.
“We will know no sleep so that our people can sleep. It is for the sake of their own security and safety that we are all out here. Our ambition is to have zero incidence of Coronavirus in the state. While other states are locking down, we are locking out. We are locking out because inside our state, we are safe and free. Those who locked down, locked down with the virus but for Cross River, we are locking out, not locking down. That way we are staying safe,” he said.
According to him, leading the enforcement himself was to ensure that the boundary was totally locked down in line with his directive to ensure the state remains Covid19 free.
He said the strict enforcement of the order was necessitated by the reality that all of the neighbouring states have recorded incidences of coronavirus infections.
The governor, who said he needed to feel the pulse of the team enforcing the lockdown by taking part in the exercise himself, announced that he will be embarking on a similar exercise at the border between Cameroon and the state soon.
State commissioner of police, Anozia Uche commended him for the preventive measures being adopted to keep the state free from the virus.
“The Governor and the rest of us have come here at this particular time to ensure that the measures put in place are actually obeyed and enforced’’, he said.
Segun Fatuase
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