COVID-19: Delta, Anambra States In War Path

As states intensifiy efforts to curb the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic, Anambra state government has erected an iron barricade at the Asaba end of the head bridge.

But in what looks like a movie scene, the Delta state government which felt insulted by the act, has brought down the iron barricade.

Trouble started on Sunday 24th May 2020, when the Oshimili south, Covid-19 taskforce on Boundary Enforcement in charge of the head bridge, led by Innocent Esewezie, with his team pulled down the Iron barricade.

The team argued that they decided to bring down the erected barricade on the Asaba-end of the Niger bridge by the Anambra State Government to ensure there is passage and movement of vehicles on essential duties across the border.

It would be recall that as part of measures to curtail and curb the spread of the global pandemic, COVID-19, the 36 state governors agreed on restricted interstate movement of humans and vehicles but only allowing movement of persons on essential duties and vehicles conveying essential goods such as agricultural, medical and pharmaceutical products across borders.

The Delta State Government thereafter set up the State COVID-19 Taskforce on Boundary Enforcement to ensure unauthorized persons and goods do not find their way into the State and this has helped to a very great extent to curb the spread of the Coronavirus within the State.

Recently, the Anambra state government took the movement restriction a step too far by totally restricting movement of even essentials across the Niger Bridge thereby causing a very heavy and agonizing build-up of traffic comprising trailers and trucks stretching from the Head bridge across Koka Junction.

It would be recalled that the gridlock caused untold hardship on the citizens and also adding more structural stress to the already weakened Niger bridge on the already overloaded bridge.