Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has told the people of
the State and the entire Nigerians to hold the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
Federal Government responsible if COVID-19 escalates in the State.
Wike said this in his statewide broadcast on Friday, adding
that nobody should be surprised if the coronavirus cases in the State rise in
the coming weeks.
He said: “It has become imperative to alert the state and,
indeed, the entire world to the fact that a dangerous escalation of COVID-19
pandemic in Rivers State looms large on our horizon due largely to the
hypocrisy of the Federal Government and the continuous acts of willful sabotage
by security agencies.”
He said for this reason, they cannot overstate the gravity
of their present predicament, adding that “nobody should be surprised should
Rivers State witness exponential increases in the infection and spread of
COVID-19 cases in the days and weeks ahead as we begin intense testing.”
Wike said, however, that his administration was resolved and
committed to remain strong and total.
He called on the residents of the State to see coronavirus
as a matter of life and death by obeying the government’s directives to stay at
home in order to protect themselves, their families and the state from the
spread.
He declared that staying at home and staying safe for now
was not just mandatory, but the best available option in the prevailing
circumstance.
The Governor said that borders of Rivers State are
continually experiencing serial acts of sabotage by security operatives, who
allegedly allow and, in some cases, personally aid persons with risky COVID-19
status into the state.
“Recently, we intercepted a lorry-load of livestock with 22
persons who bribed their ways into Rivers State from as far as Adamawa State
despite the Federal Government’s claimed restriction on inter-state travels and
our definitive closure of all entry routes into the state,” Wike added.
He said that another 8 trucks with 200 persons hidden in
loads of grains were intercepted as they were being smuggled into the State
from the Northern parts of the country.
The Governor lamented that the extent of sabotage was such
that even a Deputy Commissioner of Police unilaterally appropriated and
exercised “powers to illegally issue movement pass to individuals and companies
indiscriminately in utter contempt and direct violation of the lockdown orders
of the State government.”
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Oga governor, i thought you had your much-trusted task-force at the borders too. At least you told us so or is the 'conspiracy' against Rivers state home-grown as well?
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