In his statement, president Bio cited Subsection 1 of Section 29 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991, Act No. 6 of 199, regarding the declaration of a state of public emergency
According to him, by the power vested in him he has the right to proclaim a public state of emergency whenever the situation arises.
He stated that the Corona virus disease is a highly infectious disease that constitutes a public emergency of international concern that has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation adding that the rapid global spread of the corona virus poses great risk to human life and can cause enormous socio-economic disruption in Sierra Leone.
H E Bio discloses that the situation therefore requires effective measures to prevent, protect, and curtail the spread of the corona virus diseases in Sierra Leone.
He further reaffirmed the commitment and determination of his government to do everything necessary to protect the life of every Sierra Leonean.
He admonished citizens that it not a lockdown and therefore nobody must use this as an excuse to hoard goods, hike prices, or engage in acts of lawlessness emphasizing that this public emergency is not meant to make the lives of Sierra Leoneans difficult or unbearable.
“We will continue to deploy the armed forces and Police, as necessary, to enforce compliance with all public health directives. We believe that the actions that we take as a Government will have an impact for the well-being of our beloved nation,” he assured Sierra Leoneans.
