Diri: ‘do not harass residents not sporting face masks’

From Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has warned safety operatives to not harass or extort cash from the general public below the guise of imposing obligatory use of face masks.

The governor gave the warning on Wednesday when he donated masks to representatives of bankers, merchants, transport operators, maritime staff and others on the Authorities Home in Yenagoa.

Diri, represented by Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, mentioned no safety agent or process drive official was permitted to advantageous anybody with out a face masks.

He confused the necessity for due course of within the enforcement of legal guidelines to keep away from trampling on individuals’s rights.

The governor, who urged the police to accentuate efforts at preventing crime, famous {that a} joint process drive is likely to be set as much as implement the order if there was no change in individuals’s behaviour.

Diri mentioned: “What we now have finished in the present day is to maintain the promise we made to the unions final week. We promised that whereas we need to implement the usage of face masks in our public locations, we need to help the unions by donating some.

“We now have not authorised any process drive, particularly policemen, to implement the sporting of face masks. Bayelsans or Nigerians shouldn’t be harassed or extorted within the title of imposing the usage of face masks. The regulation is to warn. You warn earlier than you arm.

“What we’re doing now’s to warn. We will arm when the time comes.”