June 16, 2020
FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello
By Our Reporter
Controversial singer, Naira Marley is in trouble, this is because the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has vowed to prosecute him alongside those who featured and entertained fun seekers at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja.
It would be recalled that Jabi Lake Mall was shut down by the FCT administration following a judgement from a mobile court headed by Magistrate Idayat Akonni who sat in the premises of the mall to seal it up for two weeks for defaulting the coronavirus protocol.
Bello while reacting to the music concert held last Saturday said: “Videos of the event which are still circulating on the social media clearly showed a concert going on with music and live performances by a band and dancers. The video also showed attendees dancing to the live performances on the elaborately constructed stage.”
He added that several aspects of the guidelines as postulated by the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 as well as the FCT Administration were violated with reckless abandon.
A statement by the FCT Minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, said: “For purposes of emphasis the PTF and FCTA’s guidelines clearly states the following; There shall be no gathering of more than 20 people outside of a workplace or places of worship. There should be mandatory use of face masks when in public.
“There should be social distancing of at least 2 meters between 2 people while in public. There is a ban on all congregational events such as parties, weddings, concerts etc. There is a closure of all clubs, bars, gardens, beer parlors, recreational parks, communal sports facilities, movie theaters and so on. Markets and business premises are to remain open between 8 am and 4 pm.
“There is a ban on interstate travel. All the guidelines as postulated above were clearly violated as the videos available on social media indicate.