Only Vehicles Carrying Agricultural Products Can Enter Delta State – Okowa

Delta State Governor, Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa has come out to say that unauthorized vehicles coming into the state in violation of restriction in inter-state movement by Buhari would be immediately impounded.

He recently revealed that after monitoring situations at Niger Bridge boundary between Delta and Anambra and at Alifikede, the boundary community between the state and Edo on the Benin-Asaba highway, he is satisfied with how Nigerians have complied with the regulation thus far.

According to him, everyone should know that only vehicles carrying agricultural products and those on essential duties would be allowed into Delta State for the time being.

He added that the 13 boundaries between Delta and other states will remain properly secured.

His words, “We have gone round to see the work the Committee and some of our youths are doing in enforcing the inter-state lockdown to ensure that it is being done properly the way it ought to be done.

“There are certain protocols that have been allowed; inter-state movement of goods and services has been restricted to agricultural products and in that respect, only such vehicles are supposed to be moving from one state to another.

“But, most Nigerians will always want to do whatever they wished; so, we have had to ensure that our 13 boundaries with other states are well secured.

“We have various security agencies at every boundary and we have decided to add to them our community youths to help ensure that the processes set in place allow only those who are permitted by the order of the President or by the order of the state government to go through the state.

“Every other vehicle is supposed to be turned back. We have come out today at the Head Bridge and the junction between Edo and Delta at the Alifikede boundaries.

“A lot of work is being done by the task force set up in these two places and I am hopeful that this is same thing going on in the other eleven places.

“The reason behind the inter-state lockdown is because we want to limit the number of persons moving across states so that we try as much as possible to limit the spread of the Coronavirus.

“The numbers are already going up in Nigeria and there is the need for us to limit the spread and that’s the reason for the inter-state lockdown in terms of movement and I believe that it has been achieved at both sites that we visited today.”

“We have given instructions to those manning the boundaries to ensure that every vehicle is checked and anyone carrying more than the authorised number of passengers, especially the motor boy and the driver should be turned back.

“Only the driver and possibly two other persons should be inside such vehicles conveying approved goods into the state.

“Any number beyond that should be turned back and I can see that they have been doing that and I haven’t been briefed of the influx of almajiris into the state.”