FG directs senior officers, workers on essential services to resume work

…Orders probe of rape, murder of UniBen student, Jigawa minor

TRACKING___The Federal Government has directed officers on Grade Level 14 and above including those on essential services to resume work on daily basis with effect from Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Dr Folasade Yemi -Esan, made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Information in her office Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosunle on Tuesday in Abuja.

“To this effect, concerned officers are hereby directed to report to work daily; Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2pm daily.

“The officers are to ensure full compliance with the directives and advice on the prevention of the COVID -19 pandemic.

“These measures include maintenance of physical distancing, regular washing and /or sanitising of hands and wearing of facemasks, ” she said.

Yemi-Esan also advised heads of Minitries, Departments and Agencies to limit the number of visitors they receive to the barest minimum and ensure that the visitors complied with safety and health advice/ directives.

She also advised Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers to abide by the guidelines and advice on preventive measures contained in earlier circulars.

Also, the Federal Government has directed the police to unravel the circumstances surrounding the gang-rape and murder of a female student of the University of Benin, Uwaila Omozuwa, in Benin City.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, said the governmenr also directed the Police to unravel the serial sexual abuse of a minor in Jigawa State by 14 men.

In the statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr Segun Adeyemi, the minister said by bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crimes to justice, the Government will be serving a strong notice of its total aversion to gender-based violence in whatever form.

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The Minister described the gang-rape and murder of Omozuwa as “a cruel and barbaric act that offends human sensibility, in addition to being antithetical to decency” stressing that “no society will tolerate such depravity”.

He said the serial sexual abuse of a minor by 14 men in Jigawa State “is not only repulsive, but highly condemnable”.

”It is said that the true measure of a society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members,” he said.

The Minister assured that the Federal Government would do everything possible to stem the growing tide of gender-based violence in the country.

Uwaila, a 22-year-old microbiology student, was raped and killed in an empty Church in Benin City where she had gone to study.