The Civil Liberties Organization,( CLO), South East Zone says it is disturbed over plans by the Enugu State Government to engage the services of soldiers of the Nigerian Army in enforcing the use of face masks towards containing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
According to news reports credited to Prof. Emmanuel Ejim, Chairman, Expert Medical Advisory Committee, EMAC, for COVID-19 in Enugu state, “the government was talking with the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, to authorize the engagement of soldiers to enforce the preventive measure, particularly, wearing of face mask as “the police have not been helpful, especially in the metropolis”.
According to the report which was quoted copiously in a national daily on Tuesday 30th June, 2020, the Enugu state government said it was disturbed that some residents of the state still regard the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic as a scam, urging such people to have a rethink because the pandemic was real and killing people all over the world, including Enugu.
The CLO, South East Zone said while it agrees totally with the worries expressed by EMAC on the lackadaisical, non-challant attitude, ignorance and carefree lifestyle exhibited not only by residents of Enugu state but also a large number of Nigerians towards the killer COVID-19 pandemic, it disagrees totally with the idea of drafting soldiers into the enforcement of wearing facemasks.
The Zonal Chairman of the group, Comrade Aloysius Attah who made the position known to newsmen in Enugu, said to be specific, despite its bastardizations, Nigeria still operates a constitutional democracy and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in sections 217-220 clearly stated the formation and roles of the Nigeria Armed Forces, of which the defence of the territorial integrity and other core interests of the nation, forms the major substance of such roles.
“From the foregoing constitutional roles, the CLO, therefore, wishes to remind the EMAC team that soldiers have no business in enforcing health-related guidelines no matter how serious the situation may be.
“Agreed that the rate of COVID-19 spread in Enugu state likewise in other states is quite worrisome even among health workers, the situation also requires the declaration of ‘emergency’ and adoption of more stringent measures not only in Enugu state but the entire southeast.
“While the Enugu state government should be commended for steps taken so far in addressing the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is need to intensify efforts in taking a holistic action over the challenge,” the Group said.
It advised that instead of contemplating the engagement of soldiers in enforcing the wearing of face masks and other stipulated guidelines, the state should take the battle to the grassroots through the council chairmen who would engage the community foot soldiers after proper and periodic orientations.
Attah advocated the establishment of more testing centres across the towns and local governments and channelling of more efforts into monitoring and evaluation, as according to him, no amount of sensitization is too much in spreading the message of sticking to WHO guidelines and maintaining a personal commitment to healthier lifestyle and habits.
In his words, “We have also seen various extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations recorded in several parts of the country including the southeast by security agents drafted to work during the COVID-19 lockdown. The National Human Rights Commission should ensure that such instances do not only abate but that justice is served on all sides.
“Nobody or instrument of government should come up with any further action that could aggravate an already bad situation.
Since the return of democratic governance in 1999, there have been several misnomer instances where the military has been drawn into actions outside their constitutional purview and the consequences have been fatal. Drafting them to enforce the use of facemasks because of COVID-19 should not even be contemplated, talk more of implementation.”
