COVID-19: FCT intensify efforts to enforce strict compliance of Health Protection Regulation

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has vowed to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Coronavirus Disease Health Protection Regulation 2021 as released by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
As part of the resolutions reached at a stakeholders meeting held in Abuja, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said that the Administration will henceforth, sanction erring corporate organisations as well as ensure the effective use of the mobile court system for trial of offenders.
Bello further noted that the administration will also increase public education and community engagement following a baseline assessment of how much the populace know about the virus and launch massive awareness campaigns across the 6 Area Councils of the FCT to further sensitize members of the public on COVID-19.
While it was noted that commercial transportation is one of the major modes of transmitting the disease, it was resolved that all road transport unions will be engaged to ensure strict enforcement of the provisions of the regulations.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: FCTA vows to arrest, prosecute any teacher violating guidelines
The meeting further resolved that there was the need for traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to fully mobilize and enlighten their various constituents on the need to fully comply with the resolutions. This is in addition to ensuring strict compliance in all the markets across the FCT.
While all public and private schools are to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the regulations, it was also resolved that there was the need for the provision of affordable face masks for members of the public.
Speaking earlier the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said that even though the FCT is regarded as an epicenter, the Administration has been successful in its response to the disease and assured of the FCTA’s preparedness to fight the second wave through the cooperation of all the stakeholders across the Territory.
“My appeal to you is that please, let us work hard, particularly at the community level and that is why I am so happy to see that out of the 6 Area Council Chairmen, 5 are present today.” Bello said
The Minister also disclosed that the Task Force on COVID-19 guidelines enforcement will be re-invigorated to ensure that enforcement cascades down to the community and grassroots level while reminding the security agencies that enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines was now a presidential directive that must be implemented.
While appealing to the PTF for funding to help in the enforcement of the guidelines, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the efforts the FCTA, as committed so far to the fight against COVID-19 saying, those efforts have saved lives.
In her remarks the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, also called on all residents to work together to effectively combat the disease, saying, “if there is anything we have learned in the fight against COVID-19 thus far, it is the realization that working together, we can conquer any challenge that threatens our collective wellbeing”.
She also said that the FCT, through committed efforts has succeeded in containing the magnitude of the pandemic and saved a large number of Nigerian lives.
In his contribution, the FCT Commissioner of Police who doubles as the Chairman of FCT COVID-19 Enforcement Task Force, Mr Bala Ciroma, said that the enforcement team will not only carry out enforcement but will also carry out enlightenment campaigns, just as he called on Area Council Chairmen to set up enforcement teams at the local government level.