State governors have been embarking on interstate movement in clear violation of a ban to that effect which they agreed on as a measure to mitigate community transmission of COVID-19, Daily Trust investigation has revealed.
The governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) had on Wednesday, April 22, “unanimously” agreed to the implementation of an interstate lockdown in the country to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 from state to state, giving permission to only essential services.
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Daily Trust reports that the Federal Government also banned interstate movement effective Monday, May 4, as part of new measures to fight the dreaded COVID-19.
Before the agreement on the interstate travel ban was reached, the 36 governors resorted to weekly COVID-19 teleconference meetings and suspended their monthly gathering at the NGF secretariat that hitherto brought them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on a regular basis.
The agreement was sequel to the imposition of a total lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states by President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the spread of the virus; a measure which some of the states also took.
Checks by Daily Trust, however, showed that some of the governors have been violating the interstate travel ban with recent trips to Abuja and Lagos undertaken either by flight or road.
While some of the trips by the governors could be described as security-related, others were purely political.
For instance, on Monday, June 1, Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State visited President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to formally inform him of his intention to seek re-election for a second term.
The same day, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, led six of his colleagues to meet with the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC on what was believed to be a last-minute effort to save Obaseki’s candidacy ahead of the APC primary election in Edo.
Both the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Oshiomhole, and Gov. Bagudu, however, dismissed the notion that the visit was to discuss the feud between the national chairman and his godson.
Governors sighted by our correspondents at the venue of the Monday meeting were those of Kebbi (Bagudu); Ondo (Rotimi Akeredolu); Lagos (Babajide Sanwo-Olu); Plateau (Simon Lalong); Kano (Umar Abdullahi Ganduje); Kwara (Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq) and Gombe (Muhammed Inuwa).
Before the meeting with the NWC, a delegation of the governors met with the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Lagos, Gov. Bagudu confirmed while speaking with journalists on Monday.
The governors who were reported to have met Tinubu to deliberate on the internal crisis rocking Edo and Ondo chapters of the party ahead of the governorship elections were Bagudu, Akeredolu, Ganduje, Sanwo-Olu, Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).
Also, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno State alongside Yahaya of Gombe had on Monday, May 18, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Waziri Bulama as the National Secretary of the APC at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
Trips related to security
On Friday, May 29, Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over the challenge posed by armed banditry in their states.
On Thursday, April 30, Gov. Buni met President Buhari over the ongoing counter-insurgency operations on the fringes of the Lake Chad and the entire North East.
Also, on Thursday, April 9, Gov. Zulum met President Buhari on the prevailing security situation in the state following the Chadian army’s onslaught against Boko Haram.
Although it was not clear whether the governors secured approval from the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, before embarking on their trips, sources said such trips on security matters usually got clearance due to their exigency.
The aviation minister had in April said requests by five governors to travel by air were rejected in compliance with the travel restrictions imposed in the country to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The minister explained that two governors from the South East, one from the North Central and two from the South South made requests to travel by air but were turned down in strict compliance with the Federal Government’s flight restriction policy.
He also said the government was very strict about flight restrictions in Nigeria’s airspace, noting that concessions were only allowed on COVID-19-related flights, which might include movement of medical personnel, medical supplies or related cargo.
He added that the other approvals, which might be one percent of the air movement during the closure of Nigeria’s airspace, were for the evacuation of expatriates by their countries.
Sirika said, “Every single flight that you would see, that received approval would be an essential flight, and 98 per cent of them would be connected to COVID-19.
“A few of them; maybe, one percent, might be repatriation request from the diplomatic community, which must go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or evacuation of illness of another kind, and that evacuation must need the stamp of a teaching hospital.”
On whether the exemption was given to governors, the minister said: “I had denied several of such flights, including of two governors from the South South, two from the South East and one from the North Central. By the way, three of them are members of APC.
“This is just to say that once you see a flight approval, just know that it is diligently done, it must be essential, it must be COVID-19-related or some other flights like cargo that will bring in medicines or equipment or something related to our own well-being, like food.”
Ordinary Nigerians at receiving end
While VIP’s, including governors, are getting away with violating the interstate travel ban, ordinary Nigerians are being arrested for the same offence in the states.
Recently, the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) announced that it arrested 400 people for violating the ban on interstate movement.
The state Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe, who made this known, said: “The police will arrest more, especially with the banning of interstate movement by the Federal Government.”
Similarly, the Kaduna State Government said it intercepted several vehicles concealing passengers from neighbouring states trying to gain entrance into the state, while the Rivers State Government recently announced the arrest of 22 traders entering the state from neighbouring Abia State.
Lawyers speak on governor’s violation of travel ban
Lawyers have explained that state governors who embarked on interstate travel despite the prohibition of same by President Muhammadu Buhari under the Quarantine Act could not be prosecuted because of their immunity.
Paul Ananaba (SAN) explained that Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999) gave governors immunity from civil and criminal prosecution.
Ananaba said, “That can account for why they could do anything like such travels. And they also have a retinue of security personnel, so nobody can stop them.”
The lawyer, however, said the problem with the issue was that the governors went with their drivers and a retinue of security details who were not covered by the constitutional provision.
On his part, Barr. Nkemakolam Okoro said anybody who questioned the governors’ interstate travels should also question why they disobeyed court orders and judgments, even if such were obtained to restrain them.
Okoro said, “The point is that the rule of law is not truly operative in Nigeria. Certain persons in power are above the law. The law is never applied equally.”
Another lawyer, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh, said the constitutional immunity being enjoyed by the governors meant they could not be sanctioned for violating the laid down rules; except after their tenure.
Jimoh said, “I may nevertheless recommend a more cooperative coexistence between the federal and state governments so that all would be on the same page, especially in the interest of the public.”
VIP’s move at ungodly hours – Police
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said most Nigerians had done unthinkable things to beat the checkpoints to enter states they wanted to enter.
DCP Mba said most dignitaries actually moved at ungodly hours when they knew police or task officers would not be on the road.
He further said most people even disguised as essential workers; putting stickers of NUJ, hospitals, among others, to successfully deceive the police and gain entrance into states they wanted to enter, and that some went through bush paths and illegal routes just to gain access to the states they wanted to enter.
Mba, however, assured that the police were still carrying out the presidential order on the interstate travel ban and that anyone caught would be arrested and prosecuted.
NGF spokesman declines comment
Contacted, the Head of Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, declined comment on the report that some governors had violated the travel ban.
On his part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the guidelines on interstate travel ban had a clause that might permit the movement of some categories of personalities.
Shehu, who reacted to the movement of governors, said: “You people should go and read the guidelines; there is a clause there. Interstate is not allowed unless there is necessity. Everybody can convince you that they have necessity.”
“And there is a whole list of excluded items: agricultural products, medical personnel.
“In fact, I did a statement from the Ministry of Trade and Investment, asking states to observe those things. So, it is not a close issue.”
