Ekiti State Government has ordered indefinite suspension of one Sola Durodola, a member of the Covid-19 Task Force over incompetence and highhandedness.

It was gathered that Durodola shot a video where he made a mockery of the father, a former road safety officer who had come to report his son, for violating the stay at home order.

In the video, Durodola who is not a health official also certified the suspect as free of Covid-19 a situation that generated negative reactions.

Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Mr Muyiwa Olomilua, in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, frowned at the unprofessional conduct of the security agent, whom it said did not have the authority to make such statement.

The government statement reads in part, “The attention of Ekiti State Covid-19 Taskforce has been drawn to a video clip in circulation where a man refused to allow his son, who just returned from a trip outside the state, into his house until he had been isolated for 14 days as stipulated by NCDC protocol for preventing community spread of Covid-19 in Ekiti State.

“The Taskforce commends Mr Femi Adeoye, for refusing to cover-up his son’s travel history and for denying him access into the house without confirming his COVID-19 status.

Adeoye epitomizes the Ekiti ethos of selflessness, which places a greater premium on the collective good of the society above personal and emotional considerations. This is the core of the Values Orientation policy of the Fayemi-led Administration.

“We also consider it necessary to inform members of the public that the video was recorded about four days ago, by one of the security men attached to the Fajuyi Pavilion, where the Enforcement Taskforce uses as its base for coordination of daily operations.

The security man who recorded the encounter is neither a health worker nor qualified or authorized to determine the health status of the young man. So, none of his actions or misstatements reflects the capacity or preparedness of the State Taskforce to combat Covid-19.

”The officer in question has been suspended pending further investigations, for acting outside the jurisdiction of his scope of authority.

“Following the encounter, the young man has been in the custody of the State for the past 4 days and has since been taken to one of the designated quarantine centres, where he would be for 14 days, in line with a laid down procedure that dictates that anyone who sneaks into the State, would be quarantined for fourteen (14) days, at their own cost. His samples will also be taken for testing in order to ensure he has not been infected in the course of his travels to high incidence areas of the country.

“We implore members of the public to emulate the patriotic zeal of Adeoye, and promptly report to Ekiti State Covid-19 Taskforce, any out-of-State traveller who sneaks into their neighbourhood, or places of abode. This is to safeguard against the likely health hazard that such returnees portend for the larger society.

Vanguard