Eze Geoffrey Ibeakanma, the Traditional Ruler of Umuajamezie community of Abia, has appealed to security agencies to strictly enforce the government’s border closure to prevent the infiltration of people from other states.
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The royal father made the appeal in Umuahia on Wednesday during the sharing of COVID-19 palliatives donated by prominent sons and daughters of the community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on March 29 announced the closure of all the borders in the state as part of steps to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had on several occasion complained about the lax at some of the borders, saying that government would sanction local government chiefs, where security were found to be loose at the borders.
Ibeakanma described border closure as a ‘potent measure’ to effectively check the spread of the pandemic.
He, therefore, urged security operatives drafted to the borders to effectively man their duty posts to ensure that people from other states did not sneak into the state.
“I appeal to the security personnel at the borders to be very effective in stopping the infiltration of people from other states into Abia.
“Allowing people from other states into Abia, in spite of the border closure, defeats the essence of the government’s measure to check the spread of coronavirus,” he said.
The monarch listed erosion menace, road dilapidation, youth unemployment and lack of political appointments for their people as some of the challenges facing the community.
He paid glowing tribute to the donors of the palliatives for showing concern to the sufferings of their kindreds, arising from the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
He charged the organising committee in charge of the procurement and sharing of the items to ensure equity and fairness in the sharing procedure.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr Emmanuel Ihedigbo, said that the palliatives were purchased with funds contributed by concerned citizens via the community’s board of trustees to cushion the effect of the lockdown on the people.
The Secretary of the board, Mr Dickson Nwaubani, who represented the President-General, Chief Chuks Nwaononiwu, said that the board had undertaken a lot of community development projects, including a scholarship scheme for brilliant indigent students.
Nwaubani expressed the appreciation of the board to the donors, describing the gesture as an unprecedented show of love among the natives.
The Chairman of the community, Mr Maduakolam Odimba, said that the list of the beneficiaries included the natives and non-natives, adding that no resident of the community would be left out.
The Woman Leader, Mrs Chinenye Ibeakanma, expressed the appreciation of the womenfolk, saying that they had long yearned for the palliatives.
“For sometime now, we have heard stories about the donation and sharing of palliatives in communities around us and we kept wondering when our own palliatives will come.
“Thank God that today our time has finally come and in a grand style,” she said.
The woman leader admonished the youths of the community to see the palliatives from their kinsmen, home and abroad, as a challenge for them to live a responsible life.
NAN reports that the palliatives included 80 bags of rice, 15 bags of beans, 1000 cartons of Indomie Noodles and 100 litres of kerosene.