By Egena Sunday Ode
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said Monday that severe sanctions awaited people who failed to wear a face mask in compliance with the Presidential Task Force’s protocols on COVID-19.
The governor disclosed this to State House Correspondents in an interview, after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Also Rock Presidenti Villa, Abuja.
Uzodinma told newsmen that the state already had in place a Task Force on COVID-19 and measures were being taken to reduce the spread of the disease and ensure safety of all citizens.
He said: “Few days ago I issued an Executive Order to make not wearing mask a crime in Imo State an offence. So, any moment from now, we will begin to arrest people refusing to wear mask, I have given a fourteen day ultimatum for all coming into Imo State to wear their face mask and comply with NCDC protocol or be arrested and tried. I have created six mobile courts to handle that. We don’t joke. It is better we offend people than to allow this disease to continue to spread in Imo State.
“I have in place a Task Force on COVID-19 chaired by Prof. Maurice Iwu, the former Chairman of INEC and they have done well. We have in place four isolation centres, fully equipped and the government partnering with the private sector has also equipped an additional isolation centre at the University Teaching Hospital Orlu.
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