By Chimezie Godfrey
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned operators of nightclubs, bars and gardens in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja not to operate until the restriction order is lifted.
The Chairman of the FCT Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19 restriction in the FCT, Ikharo Attah issued the warning at the weekend during the teams’ inspection tour around Kubwa, Gwarimpa and Wuse to monitor compliance by the operators.
“The ban on nightclubs, parks and bars is yet to be lifted hence the need for us to sustain routine inspection and ensure compliance.
“We believe that if we relax too much with the number of positive covid-19 cases on the rise it would not be good for the city,” he said.
Attah expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by operators of nightclubs, but decried the high level of loitering of suspected commercial sex workers around buildings housing night clubs at Kubwa.
According to him, the presence of the ladies at night is a violation of the curfew because they are not on the exemption list of essential workers.
“Their presence made us to carry out full checks on some nightclubs, which are truly closed.
“At moments like these, we expect them to stop the unholy trade for their own interest, because the men who may patronise them may be COVID-19 positive,” he said.
He noted that the team shut down a bar at Wuse 2 that was discovered to be operating despite the subsisting restriction order.
“We got several calls that Reset nightclub and bar located at Lobito crescent in Wuse 2 was fully operational. But when we got there, we discovered that it wasn’t true.
“A bar operating in a plaza located opposite the nightclub, as we all found out this night , was the one operating and playing very loud music which necessitated the calls and complaints we got from residents of the area.
“The team shut down the bar and confiscated some of its loudspeakers which were handed over to enforcement officials from the Abuja environmental protection Board (AEPB),” he said.
Attah further said that the team would be extending its checks on nightclubs in the suburbs.
He appealed to FCT residents to stay at home during the curfew periods and avoid endangering their lives.
