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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday made unscheduled visits to the boundary points with Delta and Rivers states in demonstration of his seriousness to enforce the two-week interstate lockdown agreed on by the Nigerian Governors Forum.
Diri’s visit was to assess the level of compliance with the directive on the lockdown of the state.
Senator Diri, who first visited Adagbabiri, the boundary community close to Patani in Delta State, virtually took the security personnel at the entry point unawares as he arrived unannounced in an unmark Hilux vehicle.
He immediately went into checking of vehicles coming into Bayelsa and anyone without the approved permit to be on the road was asked to turn back and prevented from entering the state.
The Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that he would embark on such surprise visits regularly to the border points to underscore the seriousness his administration attached to preventing the spread of the Coronavirus into the state.
“We cannot sleep or rest while we have an enemy we cannot see. COVID-19 is an enemy that we must fight till it is completely defeated,” he said.
Governor Diri directed the Divisional Police Officer at Kaiama, Mr. E. Elisha, to ensure strict compliance with the directive on the lockdown of the entry points in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
At the Igbogene boundary point with Rivers, the governor met a large number of persons that the security personnel had prevented from entering the state.
While addressing them, he noted that the preventive measures so far taken by the state government were in their interest and that of others in the state.
His words: “We are doing this for your health. We have said nobody comes into Bayelsa and nobody leaves too. We have locked our boundaries with Delta and Rivers states. So, please for your health, stay where you are for now.
“We pray nobody contracts COVID-19 or dies from it. We want you to be safe where you are. We also know it is difficult for everyone at this time. But please go back and stay where you are.
