Akwa Ibom confirms 12 cases, reverses 2020 appropriation law

TRACKING___Chairman of Akwa Ibom State COVID-19 Committee and Secretary to State Government (SSG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, has said the state has been making significant strides in case management of coronavirus.

He disclosed at a media briefing that the state has 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus, two active ones, nine discharged and one dead, stressing that the virus was no respecter of anybody and that people should continue to observe and maintain safety procedures.

“In our case management and infection prevention, we have continued to make reasonable strides. As you may be aware, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had acknowledged our contact tracing efforts. We are, however, not resting on our oars. We have continued to go after every suspected case within our domain.

“A concomitant effort to contact tracing is the decontamination of public spaces in our major cities and health facilities, even as we intensify point of entry screening in our air, land and sea borders across the state.

He added that the state government has set up a post-economic reconstruction committee to recommend implementable strategies that would help jumpstart the economy of our state.

“We enjoin all citizens and residents to join hands in our fight against COVID19. It’s not the time for the pursuit of selfish interests to the detriment of our collective interest as a people.

Besides, the state House of Assembly has reversed the 2020 Appropriation Law from N597.74b to N195, 6b due to the sharp decline in the price of crude oil at the international oil Market occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The lawmakers unanimously passed the 2020 Budget Amendment Bill to Law yesterday after receiving a letter from Governor Udom Emmanuel on the need to review the budget to align with current realities.

Meanwhile, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Rivers State hits seven, stakeholders have condemned the lack of professionalism and patriotism on the part of law enforcement agencies in enforcing the executive orders of Governor Nyesom Wike at the state’s boundaries.

Consequently, the state chapter of the Nigeria Tax Justice and Governance Platform (RTJGP) has tasked the state government to make public its plan on expanded testing and tracing programme, as lockdowns have proven not to be the most potent measure against the spread of the scourge.

State Coordinator of RTJGP, Amaechi Kelechi Justin, stated in Port Harcourt yesterday that reports of security agencies at the various boundaries were compromising Governor Wike’s movement restriction order aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, stressing that the development was sad.

He stressed that if the security agencies would enforce the governor’s executive order and adhere to directives from health experts, the State would have better outcomes than the mounting cases of COVID-19.