Benue bans holding of picnics during yuletide, new year celebration

From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Benue State government has placed a ban on holding of picnics during the 2020 Christmas and 2021 New Year Celebrations in the state.

Governor Samuel Ortom while briefing newsmen at the end of the State Security Council Meeting on Thursday advised Benue people to celebrate the festivities with their families rather than engage in cluster gathering.

The Governor who had earlier in the day, during a visit to the Correctional Center, enjoined the people to abide by all the preventive protocols as stipulates by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) noted that the ban was in line with COVID-19 protocol regarding public gatherings.

He urged the people to continue to wear their face masks, wash their hands regularly with soap under running water or use hand sanitizers when water is not readily available as well as avoid large gatherings during the season.

Ortom maintained that some nations of the world have had to totally lockdown again following a second wave of the virus saying Nigerians must take all necessary precautions to avoid another lockdown.

On security, Governor Ortom stated that council reviewed the general security situation in the state and took steps on how best to protect lives and property especially during the festive period.

He said the issues of herdsmen attacks, banditry, assasinations, cult activities, armed robbery and kidnapping were also reviewed based on briefings from security heads.

The Governor appealed to people of the state to volunteer intelligence information to security agents for prompt action.