Traditional Rulers from the 17 LGAs of Abia State, led by the Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Joseph Nwabeke, have pledged their total support to the Abia State Government in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The council members who applauded the State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, for his proactive leadership called on all citizens of the state to ensure they abide by the guidelines issued by the government especially with regard to compulsory wearing of face masks and maintenance of social distance.
The Council Chairman, Eze Nwabeke, who spoke after a meeting with members of the state’s inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19 in Government House, Umuahia, called on all traditional rulers and heads of inter-state boundary communities to ensure that people do not enter or leave the state through their communities. He said, “the task of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our state is no longer that of the government alone. We owe it as a duty to do our best to protect our people by encouraging them to wear face masks before leaving their homes, maintain social distance at all times and learn to wash their hands with soap under running water as often as necessary. We must also do whatever is necessary to ensure that those already infected with the disease outside the state do not come here to infect our people.”
Continuing, he called for unity of purpose among all citizens and residents of the state to ensure that the fight against the virus was won without political distractions. “We must all come together no matter our political leanings or religious inclinations because this disease does not know political party or religious orientation. It is only through collective and focused efforts that we can win the war to guarantee the safety of our people”, he concluded.
Earlier in his remarks, the Secretary to State Government (SSG) and Chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19, Barr Chris Ezem, thanked the traditional rulers for their support to the government and appealed to the people of the state to ensure they take all necessary measures to protect themselves and their families from the coronavirus. While expressing hope that the traditional rulers would take the campaign against the virus to the grassroots, he assured that government would continue to take all necessary measures to keep the people safe even as the lockdown is being gradually relaxed in the state.
