COVID-19: 10 border communities in C’River receive nose masks, palliatives

At least ten border communities in Cross River State have taken delivery of palliatives and Personal Protective Equipment from the state government to help contain a possible outbreak of Covid 19 in the state.

This is in line with the desire of the government to prevent any infiltration of the state and possible infection of the  indigenes of the state from neighbouring places that currently have the virus.

The state has yet to experience
an index case of the virus and several samples taken for testing  from the state has turned out negative.

The state shares an international border with the Republic of Cameroon which has hundreds of Covid 19 cases in the Northern, Central and Southern Senatorial Zones of the state.

Similarly, Cross River
State also shares boundary with several states in Nigeria including Akwa Ibom,
Abia, Ebonyi and Benue States.

As part drive prevent
an outbreak of the virus in the state, the State government has through the
Covid 19 Response Team deployed several aides and security agencies to help man
some of these borders.

Borders manned so
include Odukpani-Itu federal highway, Ikang- Cameroon, Abeng 1 and 2- Cameroon,
Ekang-Cameroon all in South senatorial district.

In central, the border areas under lockdown are Abomeghe in Ebonyi-Igbo Ekureku in Abi local government  area, Igonigoni-Afikpo in Ebonyi state, Etung- Cameroon and Bumaji in Boki- Cameroon.

For northern senatorial district, the border communities between Nigeria and Cameroon under lock include Amana community in Becheve, Cameroon at the Ranch, Benue
state- “Branch” in Bebi community, Benue State-Ụta nga community,  all in Obanliku and Benue-in Kakwe, Bishiri North in Obanliku.

Briefing journalists on its activities so far, the Commissioner for health and Chairman of the Cross River Response Team, Dr Beta Edu, said it became imperative to move to the rural and border communities to forestall the spread from Akwa Ibom, Benue and Cameroon that have already ready recorded Covid-19 cases.

Dr Beta emphasized that the team is working assiduously with traditional rulers, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, and other critical stakeholders in the state to create more awareness on how to stay safe of the pandemic.

According to her, the state has distributed almost one million nose masks and sent some palliatives to these communities to cushion the effect of the virus. Also speaking on the need for the lockdown of border areas, the Secretary of the Response Team, and Commissioner for Finance,  Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr, said Cross River
occupies a unique position and called on federal government to come to the aid
of the state.

Ekpenyong Jnr, explained that the state shares maritime boundary with Cameroon just as it has over 80,000 internally displaced persons, IDPs, from Cameroon leaving in Cross River, adding that there are possibilities that their citizens can migrate to Cross River even as they have registered over 300, 000 and this could spell doom for the state if precautionary measures are not taken on the border areas.

He further disclosed that the state shares borders with Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ebonyi and Benue states and therefore are caught in-between, saying “this is the auspicious time to rescue Cross River and make if safe for Nigeria.”

Speaking at Cameroon Abung 2 border community during the campaign, Commissioner for Petroleum
Resources,  Mr Itaya Nyong, expressed happiness at the lock down of the
bush road to forestall the coming in of Cameroonians