As part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Grand Patron of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Igwe of Nnewi, Dr. Kenneth Orizu III, has asked those planning to come to his palace to stay away for the time being.
A statement from the palace signed by Prince Obi Orizu said referral of cases to the Palace Arbitration Panel for determination has also been put on hold except on issues of extreme emergencies.
The palace added that all social gatherings, including traditional marriages and burials in the commercial city of Nnewi, had been cancelled.
It said the panel had suspended its sittings, adding that other meetings, and any occasion involving more than 30 people would also not hold in the palace.
According to the statement, all visits to the palace and social and religious gatherings would resume as soon as the pandemic is curtailed.
Igwe Orizu urged Nigerians to adhere strictly to all safety procedures as ordered by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), federal and state governments.
He called for prayers for the eradication of the scourge and the quick recovery of all those already suffering from the virus.
The monarch, who is the oldest monarch in Africa, further advised Nigerians to stick to all the advisory measures, including self-isolation and social distancing, including the regular washing of hands with soap and disinfecting the hands with sanitizers as announced by the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health.
He commended the federal and state governments in their efforts to curtail the virus while commiserating with those suffering from the deadly virus, praying that God would bring the disease to end soonest by providing a cure.
