Akeredolu closes borders, proclaims three-day fasting in Ondo State

• Signs public health regulations order on COVID-19
• Don insists lockdown lawful, best for Nigerians

In a bid to maintain a clean bill and zero status in the measures to forestall any outbreak of Coronavirus in Ondo State, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has shut all borders leading to the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Donald Ojogo, who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Akure yesterday, declared a three-day fasting across the 18 local councils of the state.

Ojogo said that the stringent move and appeal to divinity became necessary after observing the trend in respect of COVID-19 and the possibility of its undeterminable spread.

“The government of Ondo State has ordered the closure of its borders with the neighbouring states of Ekiti, Osun, Kogi, Edo as well as Ogun, and in particular, our coastal borders with the latter.

“This order prohibits inter-state travels into the state and takes effect from 6.00 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

“As a way of thanking God and seeking His face for this immeasurable grace and continuous favour, government hereby declares a three-day period of fasting and prayers commencing from Thursday to Saturday, April 2-4, 2020 for Ondo State and the country at large”.

Meanwhile, Akeredolu has signed regulations for the good order, safety, security and public health of the state to effectively curtail the spread of Coronavirus.

Ojogo, in a statement in Akure yesterday, said the 14-page order of regulations is split into 19 sections with necessary sub-sections.

He said that the purpose of the regulations was to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 within the local councils, roads, bridges, pathways, waterways, surroundings and circling the Akure Domestic Airport Complex.

In another development, a prolific international legal expert and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships (ARISP) of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Prof. Damilola Olawuyi, yesterday insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s order limiting the spread of COVID-19 remained legal and best for Nigerians.

Olawuyi said that the control of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, requires a holistic legal response that addresses the potential impact of an infectious disease on all aspects of the human environment, including water, air, land, economy and social development.

He stated that COVID-19 should not be viewed and discussed only as a threat as it provides an opportunity for public and private entities to come together and play proactive roles in promoting best practices on environmental infection control and prevention in Nigeria.