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It was dramatic at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Monday when a director (name withheld) in the state civil service scheme was arrested and prosecuted alongside 49 others for his failure to wear face mask as instructed by the government of the state .
The director who was arrested by Special COVID-19 Task Force was seen entering the premises of the governor’s office without a face mask contrary to the order by the Head of Service .
He and 49 others were prosecuted for violating the protocol order on the use of face masks in public places in the state .
The violators were subjected to community service after they were arraigned at the mobile court located at the governor’s office ,Oke-Mosan, during an enforcement.
It was observe that the violators were punished to serve two hours community service for their offences .
The state government had threatened to arrest and sentence individuals including public servants caught without using face masks.
The state government had in a circular issued by the State Head of Service, Selimot Ottun in Abeokuta said the directive takes effect from Monday, February 22, 2021.
The government in the circular had explained that the measure became necessary to curtail the spread of the second wave of COVID-19, as the State government has observed with concern the increase in the rate of the pandemic.
The Head of Service however directed all Public/Civil servants in the State must use the face mask during official hours and adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.
While enforcing the law on Monday, the task force made the arrest at the State Secretariat, Oke-Modan,Abeokuta .
It was gathered that all the civil servants and visitors were subjected to screening while those who used face masks were allowed entry while others without the gave masks were arrested .
In the process of enforcing the law, there were some level of confrontations between the task force operatives and the people .
Fifty persons were charged at the mobile court and persecuted.
The COVID-19 special task force also repeatedly visited some markets, schools, worship centres amongst other public places across the state in coming days.
Attempts to speak to the leader of the task force failed as he could not be reached as of the time of filing this report .
Some operatives of the task force decline speaking with our correspondent.
