Tag: Allowed

  • Covid-19: Marang Prison takes precautionary measures

    Covid-19: Marang Prison takes precautionary measures

    Covid-19: Marang Prison takes precautionary measures 2

    KUALA TERENGGANU: Although a prison is relatively safe from Covid-19 as its inmates lack interaction with the outside world, the Marang Prison has taken precautions to reduce the risk of infection.

    Marang Prison director Assistant Commissioner Wan Sani Abd Latiff said screening of all personnel and visitors has been conducted and those with body temperatures exceeding 36 degrees Celsius are not allowed in.

    “All staff and visitors are also required to use hand sanitisers and face masks. The management has also prepared a rest house for officers who have completed their guard duty at hospital wards to clean themselves up before heading home,“ he told Bernama when contacted, here today.

    No Covid-19 cases have been reported at the Marang Prison, which has 2,910 inmates and 398 staff, he added.

    He said about 25 personnel from the Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) unit and Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department carried out cleaning and disinfection exercises at the prison this morning.

    “As an additional precautionary measure, new prisoners will be screened outside the main entrance and those experiencing Covid-19 symptoms will undergo medical examination and be quarantined in separate rooms.

    “The prison personnel are also practising social distancing at work as advised by the Health Ministry,“ he said, adding that officers have been briefed by the prison’s health personnel on the threat posed by the virus. – Bernama

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  • Presidential Order Not Enforceable Without Legal Backing! By Femi Falana

    Presidential Order Not Enforceable Without Legal Backing! By Femi Falana

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    Following the national broadcast of President Muhammadu Buhari on the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, some lawyers have questioned the constitutional validity of the restriction of locomotion of people in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. No doubt, the President is empowered to adopt any measures deemed fit to combat the dangerous disease but such measures have to be spelt out in a Regulation made pursuant to section 305 of the constitution or under the Quarantine Act. Otherwise the presidential order on restriction of movement in the affected areas cannot be enforced by the police. 

    Even though civil rule was restored in the country 21 years ago the psyche of the political class has not been demilitarised. Hence, decisions taken by rulers are required to be obeyed “with immediate effect” without any legal backing. But in Okafor v Governor of Lagos State (2016) LPELR-41066 (CA) the Court of Appeal called on all authorities to appreciate the need to govern the country under the rule of law. Thus, the directive of the Governor of Lagos State restricting the movement of citizens and residents during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise was struck down because of its unconstitutionality. It was the unanimous view of their lordships that the arrest of appellant for flouting the order or directive of the governor was completely  illegal. According to Georgewill , J.C.A. 

    “It is my view, that democracy thrives more on obeying and promoting the rule of law rather than the whims and caprices of the leaders against the lead. I find the conduct of the Respondent in not only persecuting the Appellant, yes that is what in my view it amounts to when a free citizen of this great country such as Citizen Faith Okafor, is put through the rigours of criminal process for an offence not prescribed in any written law but merely on the directive of the governor of the Lagos State. An action which if allowed to thrive in a democracy such as ours could confer on such office holders infinite, absolute and autocratic powers contrary to the clear provisions of the constitution of the land, to which both the leaders and the led are subject. I  refuse to allow such autocratic, absolute and infinite powers to fester upon our nascent democracy.”

    Lawyers who are saying that the law should  be completely relegated to the background in combating the coronavirus pandemic reminds me of the dissenting judgment of Lord Atkins in the case of Liversidge v Anderson 1944 UKHL 1. While accusing his learned brethren of being “more executive minded than the executive”,  his Lordship said inter alia:

    “In England, amidst the clash of arms, the laws are not silent. They may be changed, but they speak the same language in war as in peace. It has always been one of the pillars of freedom, one of the principles of liberty for which on recent authority we are now fighting, that the judges are no respecters of persons, and stand between the subject and any attempted encroachments on his liberty by the executive, alert to see that any coercive action is justified in law.”

    However. while the nation’s armed forces should be commended for making their medical facilities available to members of the public in the fight against the highly dangerous virus the plan to dispatch armed soldiers to the streets to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines should be shelved because it is  illegal. For the umpteenth time, I am compelled to draw the attention of the military authorities to the case of Yussuf v Obasanjo (2005) 18 NWLR (Pt ) where Salami JCA (as he then was) held that “It is up to the police to protect our nascent democracy and not the military, otherwise the democracy might be wittingly or unwittingly militarized. This is not what the citizenry bargained for in wrestling power from the military in 1999. Conscious steps should be taken to civilianise the polity and thereby ensure the survival of and sustainance of democracy.”

    In the same vein, in the celebrated case of All Progressive Congress v Peoples Democratic Party (2015) LPELR 24349  Aboki JCA held that the President lacks the power to call on the Armed Forces to restore law and order in any part of the federation without the approval of the National Assembly as provided in sections 217(2) and 218(4) of the constitution as amended. His Lordship reminded the Federal Government of its legal obligation  “to confine the military to their demanding assignments especially in these trying times of insurgencies and encroachment into the country’s territories…”

    Finally, just last week the satanic Boko Haram force was reported to have massacred 47 Nigerian troops and 92  Chadian soldiers in two separate attacks. In view of such enormous challenge our patriotic armed forces should concentrate efforts on the counter insurgency operations being carried out in the north east region while  the police and allied security agencies are allowed to enforce the COVID-19 regulations and guidelines.

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  • BREAKING: Buhari Bans Movement In And Out Of Lagos, Ogun, FCT Over Coronavirus

    BREAKING: Buhari Bans Movement In And Out Of Lagos, Ogun, FCT Over Coronavirus

    BREAKING: Buhari Bans Movement In And Out Of Lagos, Ogun, FCT Over Coronavirus 5

    BREAKING: Buhari Bans Movement In And Out Of Lagos, Ogun, FCT Over Coronavirus 6


    President Muhammadu Buhari has banned the movement of persons in and out of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

    He made the declaration on Sunday evening during a nationwide broadcast.

    According to the President, the decision was taken because Lagos and the FCT had recorded the most cases of the pandemic in the country due to the international airports in both cities, which had allowed travellers from high risk countries for the virus to come into the country.

    Buhari said Ogun State was included in the restriction because of its close proximity to Lagos and the fact that it bordered many other states in the South-West.

    The President asked Nigerians to put aside their personal comfort to help combat the pandemic, adding that citizens should stay at home to reduce the risk of the virus spreading further.

    Buhari said that security agencies would be drafted in to help government’s effort at tackling Coronavirus.

    Nigeria currently has 97 confirmed cases of the virus and one recorded death. 

    More to come…

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    BREAKING: Buhari Bans Movement In And Out Of Lagos, Ogun, FCT Over Coronavirus
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  • Istana Selangor: All visitors to three palaces must undergo temperature checks

    Istana Selangor: All visitors to three palaces must undergo temperature checks

    Istana Selangor: All visitors to three palaces must undergo temperature checks 8

    SHAH ALAM: The Office of the Sultan of Selangor has made it compulsory for all visitors conducting businesses at three palaces in the state to undergo temperature checks before being allowed to enter the areas concerned to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    Comptroller of the Selangor Royal Household Sawaluddin Md Nor said three units of temperature detectors had been stationed at the main entrance gates of Istana Alam Shah in Klang, Istana Bukit Kayangan and Istana Mestika here for the purpose.

    ‘’All visitors and contractors must first be examined at the main entrances to determine their health. This is important to determine if they have the symptoms for Covid-19,’’ he said via a statement uploaded on the Selangor Royal Office official website, today.

    He said all the palace staff had also undergone a mandatory examination on March 9 and the results had been negative.

    According to Sawaluddin, the Selangor Royal Office was also supplying face and nose masks and sanitation fluid to the personnel required to work in rotation in certain areas until the Movement Control Order (MCO) ended.

    ‘’The residential area of the palace staff in Kampung Seri Alam, Klang is also closely guarded by the police.

    ‘’We also laud the order of the Sultan (of Selangor) who wants all his staff especially those staying in the Kampung Seri Alam area to stay home and not wander outside the area to avoid the risk of being infected by Covid-19,’’ he said. — Bernama

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  • Sokoto Government Closes Entry Points Into State Over Coronavirus

    Sokoto Government Closes Entry Points Into State Over Coronavirus

    Sokoto Government Closes Entry Points Into State Over Coronavirus 9

    Sokoto Government Closes Entry Points Into State Over Coronavirus 10


     

    The Sokoto State Government on Friday announced the closure of entry points into the ancient city in order to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in the country.

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal in a broadcast said that only the movement of medical supplies and essential food items will be allowed into Sokoto from other parts of the country.

    He said the closure will stay in place for an initial two weeks pending observations on the pattern of the disease in the state and country.

    Also, all civil servants on grade level 12 and below have been directed by the state government to work from home for two weeks from Friday, March 27 to Friday, April 10, 2020.

    The governor said all further measures to be taken by the state will be based on expert advice from the state’s Ministry of Health, Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Federal Ministry of Health as and when the need arises.

    He admonished citizens to cooperate with relevant authorities and adhere to measures in the interest of the general well-being and survival of the human race.

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  • Accept Your Failure and Leave Sowore Alone, Odumakin Tells Buhari

    Accept Your Failure and Leave Sowore Alone, Odumakin Tells Buhari

    Accept Your Failure and Leave Sowore Alone, Odumakin Tells Buhari 11

    Accept Your Failure and Leave Sowore Alone, Odumakin Tells Buhari 12


    President, Centre for Change, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, has called on the Nigerian Government to steer clear of its plan to rearrest human rights activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, saying such move would be counter productive.

    Sowore had raised the alarm over moves by the Nigerian Army to secretly secure an order from the Federal High Court, Abuja, to rearrest him over SaharaReporters publication revealing that President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, had been infected with Coronavirus.

    Odumakin said such attempts by the government was tantamount to taking Nigeria back to the dark age and total into abyss. 

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    She said the President should concentrate on finding solutions and remedy to the problems created by his failure and negligence in tackling Covid-19.

    In a statement on Friday, Odumakin said, “Our attention has been drawn to the alarm raised by Publisher of SaharaReporters, Mr Omoyele Sowore, that the Federal Government was planning an onslaught on him for reporting that Mr Abba Kyari was Coronavirus positive.

    “Does it mean that our government would have concealed Kyari’s status and allowed Coronavirus unchecked among the top echelon of Nigerian society? 

    “If the status of UK Prime Minister can be made public, who is Kyari that his status must not be known?” she queried. 

    Okei-Odumakin said SaharaReporters had done a great service to the country by making the information public.

    She advised government to begin to remedy its failure by doing whatever it can to provide services for citizens.

     

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  • Covid-19: Chow Kit market remains busy, but with close monitoring

    Covid-19: Chow Kit market remains busy, but with close monitoring

    Covid-19: Chow Kit market remains busy, but with close monitoring 14

    KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of Movement Control Order (MCO) has not stopped people from visiting Chow Kit Wholesaler Market here although the authority has limited the number of visitors who can enter the market at a time.

    A check by Bernama found that customers start queueing up patiently lining-up in very early in the morning while monitored by the police.

    Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Mohd Fahmi Visuvanathan Abdullah said as of 10am today, about 700 visitors had already lined up to enter the market, which was allowed to operate from 6am until 1pm.

    The police divided them accordingly into groups of between 30 and 40 and gave them 20 minutes to enter the market to buy essential goods.

    “Customers need to register their names and undergo body temperature screening before they can enter the market. This is to ensure that they complied with the MCO,” he told reporters after monitoring the MCO implementation at the market today.

    He said the police also set-up a special lane for the elderlies.

    However, he regretted that some visitors did not practice one-meter social distancing or were not wearing face masks.

    Mohd Fahmi Visuvanathan also reminded the people not to visit Chow Kit Market after 1pm.

    “Action will be taken to those who refuse to comply,” he said.

    To date, no arrests have been made by the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters in relation to MCO implementation.

    Meanwhile, several customers at the market described the entry limit as a good measure to break the Covid-19 infection chain.

    A homemaker Aminah Abdullah, 44, said the 20-minute limit to buy necessities would be sufficient if the customers made initial preparations by listing the items to be purchased.

    “I’m a regular customer in this market … so when I came to the market, I already know my way to the items I need,” she said.

    A civil servant, known as Amir, said he visited the market to buy necessities for his family.

    “I came to buy goods in large quantities for my family because I need to go to Johor afterwards. My wife and children stay in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

    A worker in a private sector, Abdullah Sidek, 44, said as the head of his family he is taking over the task of buying groceries from his wife during the MCO period.

    “I didn’t encounter problems because my wife had prepared a good list of items she needed, everything is in this market,” he said. — Bernama

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  • Coronavirus: Police Brutalise, Teargas Traders, Buyers During Enforcement Of Market Closure In Osun

    Coronavirus: Police Brutalise, Teargas Traders, Buyers During Enforcement Of Market Closure In Osun

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    Coronavirus: Police Brutalise, Teargas Traders, Buyers During Enforcement Of Market Closure In Osun 16


     

    In trying to enforce the closure of markets as ordered by Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, the police brutalised and fired teargas canisters at traders and buyers at Ifon Market on Wednesday morning. 

    The governor had on Tuesday ordered the closure of all weekly markets in the state to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

    The government stated that only daily markets would be allowed to operate because they attracted small number of persons at a time.

    However, in enforcing the order, the police in Osun embarked on extra-judicial activities by harassing and brutalising buyers and sellers at Ifon Market.

    Some buyers caught in the melee, explained to our correspondent that they went to purchase food items but were attacked by policemen.

    “Police officers stormed the market in large numbers and teargassed everyone both young and old.

    “The market was filled with people from all over the state, we had to rush out of the place to escape beating from the police,” one witness said. 

    Another resident explained that her husband had to hurriedly go in search for money after the pronouncement by the governor so that they could stock some food items in the house.

    She said, “What would people eat during the period of staying at home if they couldn’t get food?

    “Why should people be dispersed with teargas while trying to get items to be used for a long time during the course of this epidemic?” a woman queried.

    The residents urged the state government to revisit the order and give people the opportunity to stock their houses with food items before closing all markets.

    “Yesterday’s act was not needed at this point where people live from hand to mouth. 

    “I strongly call on the appropriate authorities to look into this and check on those who might have been injured during the ruthless act by police officers,” one of the affected residents of the state said.

    While speaking, another resident of Osun said, “Government and prominent people in the state should also help by providing materials and items which will help to alleviate suffering at this hard time.”

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    Coronavirus: Police Brutalise, Teargas Traders, Buyers During Enforcement Of Market Closure In Osun
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