Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, says all oil workers coming
into the state must show their COVID-19 test results before they are allowed
in.
In a statement on Monday, Simeon Nwakaudu, media aide to
Wike, quoted the governor as saying all waivers earlier granted to oil and gas
companies have been reviewed.
The governor said his administration could not abandon
residents “to chances”, alleging that some of the cases recorded in the state
were flown into Port Harcourt by Bristow Helicopters from an offshore oilfield
facility in Akwa Ibom state.
“Given the threat posed to the state by oil and gas company
workers, it has reviewed all entry waivers and permits earlier granted to oil
and gas companies,” he said.
“From now on, requests for waivers and entry permits from
oil and gas companies will be considered on a case by case basis;
“All inward-bound vehicles and flights into Rivers State
from oil and gas companies with workers for crew change or other essential
operations must first submit details of their manifests to the State’s
Taskforce on COVID-19 for proper vetting of their virus status before they can
be allowed to enter the state.
“All operators of chartered flights into Rivers State for
oil and gas operations, especially Bristow and Caverton Helicopters, should
please comply with this directive and refrain from jeopardizing the lives of
our people for the sake of making profits.
“As a government, we cannot abdicate this compelling
responsibility and abandon our people to chances in the midst of this much
dreaded and ravaging pandemic.”
Wike had previously ordered the arrest of two Caverton
Helicopters pilots and some staff of ExxonMobil for allegedly violating the
restriction of movement in the state.
But the oil companies had said the federal government
granted them waiver to fly into the state.
So far, Rivers has recorded 14 cases of the disease.
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