The Ebonyi State government has banned the use of phones, laptops, iPads, voice recorders and electron magnetic devices in its state house.
According to a report in The Daily Trust, the ban means electronic equipments will not be allowed inside the executive chamber and governor’s office.
Apparently no one is spared or exempt from this ban. When the the state governor David Umahi met governing council of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), members of the state executive council including the deputy governor, and journalists were denied entry into the Executive Chamber — venue of the meeting — with phones or recorders.
Recently, policies and deliberations of the state executive council were leaked to opposition parties. This is reportedly the main reason for the ban.
The Ebonyi State government will not be the first to take this seemingly harsh measure.
In December 2016, the United States Congress reportedly banned its representatives from personal broadcasting with their smartphones.
The ban carried fines of between $500 to $2,500. And some members of the house accused it of being partisan.
Is this the case in Ebonyi State considering that the opposition party is prime motivator for the ban?
It is not clear what penalty defaulters will face in Ebonyi State. But according to the report, the directive has been pasted on the entrance of the executive chamber, warning any defaulter.
