RIVERS State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has blamed the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the state on sabotage of the state’s borders by security agencies.
Wike, who ordered compulsory use of face masks in public to check the spread of the pandemic, said following border sabotage, the state has so far recorded 13 confirmed cases of the pandemic comprising nine males and four females.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, the state capital, the governor insisted that the sabotage was frustrating the efforts of his administration to check the spread of the virus.
He said the government had so far convicted 188 persons for violating the ongoing lockdown directive of his administration.
He said: “The logical conclusion, therefore, is that the pattern of transmission of COVID-19 in the state is evidently predicated on outside importation just as the rate of infection and progression is also relatively low and arithmetical when considered from the date of the index case.
“Generally, we believe that unless there is a sudden and vertical slide into community transmission, we expect our COVID-19 infection and prevalent rate to continue along this low trajectory, which gives us the assurance that our hard work is paying off and Rivers State is certainly not in any dangerous position when compared to most other states, and we will never be by God’s special grace.
“This is not to say that we are at the peak of this crisis and that everything about the containment and transmission of COVID-19 is under control.
“No; we are not, because of the challenges occasioned primarily by the negative elements that continue to undermine and sabotage our efforts to protect our people from this disease.
“For instance, the seventh infected case was an offshore oil and gas worker who went and passed a night in a Lagos hotel before returning to Port Harcourt on the 9th of April 2020 with the aid of the security personnel manning our borders.
“When his symptoms started, he was admitted to a private hospital (St. Martin’s Hospital) on the 20th and discharged on the 21st of April 2020.
“Had the security agencies not compromised their responsibility at the borders, this man would have been prevented from coming into Port Harcourt with this virus and threaten the lives of other people for over two weeks before he was evacuated to the treatment center.”
“It is for this very reason that we have taken our fate in our own hands with the establishment of the border security task force, which has been mandated to provide and ensure a water-tight situation in all our entry and exit points and prevent any unauthorised entry and or exit of persons and vehicles into the state during the period of the closure.”
Wike said that following the positive status of the oil worker, the state government would review all the permits granted oil companies to move workers to oil platforms.
He said: “When you raise these issues, some local politicians seeking governorship ticket, say that we must beg. It is a matter of cooperation to ensure the safety of our people.
“Let nobody deceive these oil companies; they should not risk the lives of their workers. We are seeking the support of oil companies to save the lives of our people.
“Nobody is saying don’t drill oil, but it must be done with the consideration of the safety of Rivers people.”
Wike regretted that the Federal Government was yet to support Rivers in the fight against Coronavirus, describing as unfortunate the refusal of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to establish a laboratory in the state.
He said: “We are virtually fighting this battle without any tangible material support from the Federal Government. We are wondering as most of you may also be that up till now, the NCDC has not established any testing center in the state in spite of our position, huge socio-economic and demographic mix and high transmission threat hanging over us as a result.
“Was this deliberate? If not so, why and what was the justification for this dangerous neglect, which is obviously limiting our capacity to expand testing for this virus in the state.
“But for us as a Government, every single new infection of COVID-19 in our state is one too many. We shall therefore continue to take every necessary measure to control and possibly end the transmission of this disease in Rivers State in spite of the enormous challenges and lack of concrete support from the Federal Government.”
Wike said that the response of the Federal Government to the request by Kano State for support showed the level of inconsistency in the system.
“I committed no crime calling for support. If they support us, we will also commend them like Kano State has done. There are those they prefer as the owners of the country while others are deliberately neglected. This is unfortunate.”
The governor confirmed that his administration rejected the food palliatives from the federal government because they were not edible.
He wondered why the federal government asked Rivers to go to Cross River State to evacuate the food palliatives.
“The rice has expired and we cannot go to Cross River to go and collect contaminated rice,” he said.
The governor insisted that the federal government was playing politics with security agencies in time of war against Coronavirus confirming that all the security commanders had been transferred out of the state with new ones posted to Rivers.
He said: “All the security personnel involved in the arrest of those who invaded the state during the fight against coronavirus have been transferred. The Commissioner of Police, the Director DSS and the Air Force Commander have been transferred.
“If they cannot work with State Governments to fight coronavirus, then we should expect problem in the future.
“I pity the security personnel. Once they put in their best, they are transferred. That is why we have set up our Task Force on Border Closure to ensure that they don’t compromise our borders.”
Commenting on the N11 billion unilaterally withdrawn from the Federation Account and handed over to the police, Wike said that he directed the State Attorney General to drag the Federal Government to court.
He said: “Our lawyers will prepare our papers and we will go to court. Nobody says you cannot support the police, but you must get the consent of states before taking their money.
“I have told the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum that Rivers State will challenge this matter in court.”
He said: “The wearing of face mask in all public places is now compulsory throughout the state. The State’s Security Council will meet in the next 24 hours to consider and approve necessary mitigating measures for commuters, including the deployment of government buses to shuttle designated public routes free of charge.”
Wike said though he agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari on the gradual re-opening of the country, the peculiarities of the state would determined its possibility.
“While we agree with Mr. President’s decision to gradually reopen the country for business, we shall be guided by the peculiarities of our state on when to relax the measures we have put in place and gradually restore business activities to the State.
“Until then, I wish to restate that we love all residents of Rivers State. Please maintain social distancing, stay at home, wear face mask in public places and stay safe”, he said.
The Governor warned that the State Government will impose a complete lockdown of Rumuokoro, Elimgbu and Rumukurushi if they continued with night markets and total disregard of Government directive on social distancing.
