The Lagos State Government on Friday released the apology letter written to it by popular musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley, for flouting the lockdown order in the state.
Naira Marley had attended a birthday party on April 4, 2020, contrary to the social distancing directive of the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
The state government had filed charges against him before the state Magistrates’ Court in Ogba, and he was billed to be arraigned on Wednesday alongside the candidate of the Action Democratic Party in the 2019 governorship election in the state, Babatunde Gbadamosi, and his wife, Folashade, who also attended the party.
But the state government applied to drop the charges on the condition that the musician and the politician would tender a written apology to the government; sign an undertaking to henceforth comply with the social distancing and stay-at-home directives; and go into self-isolation for 14 days.
Fulfilling one of the conditions for withdrawing the case, Naira Marley in a letter dated April 9, apologised to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Part of the letter read, “I hereby apologise unreservedly to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the good people of Lagos State in any manner that I may have violated the Social Distancing Regulations and the stay-home order of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Governor of Lagos State, as same was not done as a result of deliberate disrespect to their persons, authorities, and governments.
“That I agree to be in self-isolation in my house…for a period of 14 days commencing from today, Thursday 9thApril 2020 and that the Lagos State Ministry of Health should supervise my isolation.”
See the full letter here;
Letters of Apology signed by Naira Marley and Babatunde Gbadamosi@jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @LagosMoj #LASG #ForAGreaterLagos #LagosAgainstCovid19 pic.twitter.com/O6fXItyB74
— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) April 10, 2020
