Chairman and Secretary of the chapter, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu and Dr Robinson Ugwuanyi, respectively, made the warning in a statement issued in Umuahia on Friday.

The duo stated that medical practitioners on duty were being harassed by security operatives even as they were exempted from the 24-hour curfew imposed by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu

They called on the state government and relevant agencies to address the development and protect members in the line of duty during the period.

“We can no longer tolerate the insult from the security agents who have been persistently harassing our members on the line of duty.

“If the government of Abia and her security personnel do not come up with practical and adequate measures to protect our members in the next 24 hours, we may be left with no choice than to ask our members to stay away from work till further notice.

“We also call on heads of health institutions in the state to liaise with the state government and security agents to end the harassment,’’ they added.

The chapter would set up an “Emergency Response Team’’ within the next 24 hours to assist in providing appropriate and timely medical interventions during this period, they stated.

The chairman and secretary urged NMA members in the state to give prompt attention to wounded victims of the on-going protest and encouraged them to be vigilant and to keep safe as they discharge their duties.

They declared that the association’s “2020 Physicians Week’’, which was billed to hold from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25 had been suspended.

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The Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, disclosed this in a statement made available to our reporter in Umuahia on Monday.

Okiyi-Kalu stated that the panel has retired Justice SN Imo and Mrs Uzoamaka Ikonne as Chairman and Secretary.

Other members include Mr John Nwakanma, Mr Daniel Chinagozi, Mr Ariwa Zuby and Mr Eric Ikwuagwu.

The rest are Mr Sunday Onuoha, Mr Nnanna Nwafor, Mrs Doris Ogala and Mr John Emejor, the Chairman, Abia Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The commissioner stated that the panel would be inaugurated on October 23.

Meanwhile, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, has called on the Federal Government to address the complaints of Nigerians over police brutality through genuine reforms.

Abaribe made the call in Umuahia on Monday, while speaking on the EndSARS’ protests across the country.

He said: “We have made our point very clear. We told the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to go and talk to President Muhammadu Buhari because this matter has become something else.

“It is not just to give in to their demands but being able to make sure that the trajectory of Nigeria today has to stop.

“It is to make sure that the increasing poverty in Nigeria is halted. Where even doctors are owed salaries. We cannot continue along that line.

“The federal government must make genuine efforts to solve the problem of dilapidated structures everywhere.

“All the electoral robbery that happens must be stopped because what we do most of the time is selection not election.

“Let there be genuine electoral reform that we can use technology to do elections so that nobody will go and write results for somebody else.

“These are the things that we have sent to the leadership of the National Assembly.

“The senate president and speaker are with the president for deliberations and we expect feedback this evening.”

He, therefore, urged the protesters “to continue with their peaceful protests and ensure that their resistance brought positive change to the country.”

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In a statement in Umuahia on Monday, Okiyi, said that the positive result came from a second sample test on the governor for COVID-19 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He recalled that the result of Ikpeazu’s first test by the centre on May 30 returned negative and that the result of the second test of the sample submitted on June 4 “for confirmation” came out positive.

He stated: “Recall that on Saturday, May 30, Ikpeazu volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and subsequently directed members of the state Executive Council and those of the inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test.

“On Thursday, June 4, the governor submitted another sample at the NCDC laboratory for confirmation and the result returned positive.

“As a result, Ikpeazu has gone into isolation as required by the relevant NCDC protocols.

”The governor is being managed by a competent team of medical practitioners with a view to nursing him back to good health.”

He said that the governor had therefore directed his Deputy, Ude Oko-Chukwu, “to act on his behalf, pending his full resumption of duties.”

“We wish to urge all Abia residents to take the fight against COVID-19 seriously. The disease is real but not a death sentence.

“Our state has the resources to manage patients back to good health,” the commissioner stated.

Meanwhile, the report from NCDC on June 7, showed that Abia now has 67 new cases of the virus, bringing the total number to 85.

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The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Enyinnaya Appolos, made this known in a statement made available to our reporter in Umuahia on Friday.

Appolos said that the decision to extend the curfew earlier scheduled to have ended on Friday, was taken after a “profound” review of the security situation and in order to consolidate on the gradual return of peace and normalcy.

He urged Abia people to comply with the state government’s directive, to ensure the maintenance of law and order as well as the safety of lives and property in the state.

Meanwhile, relative peace has returned to Umuahia, the state capital as residents could be seen moving about their businesses after the heightened tension arising from the Òperation Python Dance 2′ military exercise of the Nigerian Army.

It was reported that some banks did not open for business while others that were open, could be seen screening customers with long queues visible at ATM points of various banks.

In an interview with our reporter, some residents expressed delight over the gradual return of peace to Umuahia.

Mr Okechukwu Orji, a civil servant, said that the security situation had put residents under emotional strain and untold hardship.

Orji said that he was delighted over the gradual return of normalcy to the state capital as people who fled their homes were coming back.

Another respondent, Mr Daniel Okoro, a businessman, said that the objectives of the military exercise were laudable but he noted that recent happenings in Abia were of great concern to the people.

Okoro urged relevant agencies to expedite action, to ensure that lives and property were protected and for normalcy to be fully restored across the state.

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