By Peter Duru

Makurdi—Benue State Government yesterday ordered civil servants from grade levels 1-12 to work from home for two weeks while levels 13 and above were directed to take charge and offer skeletal services.

The government also embargoed all forms of social gatherings and directed the shutdown of all public institutions in the state except hospitals.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of an emergency expanded State Executive Council meeting held yesterday in Makurdi.

Reeling out the outcome of the meeting, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Tony Ijohor, said the state government further advised the State Independent Electoral Commission, BESIEC, to postpone for two weeks the local government elections scheduled for next Saturday.

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The government also stated plan to create more isolation centres in the North East and Benue south senatorial zones of the state to cater for any emergency that might arise from those areas.

The state exco which was presided over by its chairman, Governor Samuel Ortom also resolved to carry out awareness campaign in motor parks and other public places on the need to observe social distance.

According to the SSG, “As from tomorrow there will be restriction of people coming to the People’s House (Goverment House) for the next  two weeks.

“The state government has also scaled up the COVID-19 committee which will now be headed by the deputy governor, Benson Abounu, and an initial sum of N50 million which is subject to review has been released to the committee,” he said.

Vanguard