Gov. Nyesom Wike
By Our Reporter
Rivers State Government has cancelled the proposed lockdown of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government and imposed an indefinite curfew in the entire state.
Governor Nyesom Wike stated this in a state-wide broadcast, he said the curfew would begin from 8p.m to 6am with effect from June 2, 2020 till further notice.
“After a comprehensive review of the measures taken and further considerations placed before us by well-meaning members of the public, the State Security Council has decided to cancel the proposed lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas of the State.
“In essence, no part of Rivers State is or will be under any lockdown from this moment and this will be so, except where it becomes necessary again.
“As we all know, the regular washing of hands, religious wearing of face masks, keeping effective physical and social distance of between 1.5 to 2 meters from other people, completely avoiding touching of faces with unwashed hands, and cleaning of surfaces we regularly touch have been identified as some of the most effective measures against contracting this virus in the absence of vaccine,” he said.
Wike said he would re-enforce the decisions on the continuous implementation of the following measures throughout the State:
(i) All land borders, including all exit and entry routes into Rivers State shall remain closed to human and vehicular traffic, except those on essential services and duly exempted.
(ii) All residents must wear face masks or covering into any public space, including our roads, banks, shopping malls, shops, hotels and in any lawful social gathering.
(iii) The State task force and the security agencies have been directed to arrest and summarily prosecute any person seen on our streets or any other public place without wearing face masks.
(iv) All banks, motor parks, hotels, restaurants, shops, business centres, shopping malls, and offices must maintain social distancing and enforce the wearing of face masks in their premises.
(v) The State task force and security agencies have been directed to seal up, prosecute and confiscate to the State any bank, shopping mall, restaurant, shop, business place or office that fails to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face masks in its premises.
(vi) In addition to providing daily guest list to the Police and the Department of State Security, hoteliers must not host large gatherings, including parties and receptions. Defaulting hotels will be sealed-up and the owners summarily prosecuted.
(vii) All bars, beer palours, or drinking joints, night-clubs, viewing centres, open markets and cinemas shall remain closed until further notice;
(viii) Oil mill market in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area shall remain closed until further notice;
(ix) Oginigba Slaughter market in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area shall similarly remain closed until further notice.
(x) Mbiama market in Ahoada West Local Government Area shall also remain closed until further notice;
(xi) All public weddings, burials and large social gatherings shall remain banned.
(xii) Churches and other religious gatherings should continue to comply with the existing advisory on social distancing, initiate temperature checks and enforce the wearing of face masks during their activities;
(xiii) Dealers in Ikoku Spare Parts markets are warned for the last time to stop converting public roads to mechanic workshops or risk final closure.
(xiv) Similarly, no mechanic workshop should be found along Ikwerre road as Government will prosecute defaulters and confiscate any vehicle being repaired on any public road.
(xv) Private and commercial vehicles, including tricycles must continue to limit their passengers to the number earlier established and enforce the wearing of face masks by all passengers. Defaulters will be prosecuted and their vehicles confiscated by the Task force.
he said these measures are in the best interest of our State, to protect our lives, businesses, and jobs as well as, to prevent our troubled economy from suffering irreparable damage.
“This also means that, residents now bear much greater responsibility to stop and prevent our State from suffering the exponential and potentially devastating spread of the virus being experienced across the state.
“As 60% of the positive cases recorded in the State are connected with oil company workers, we have initiated a meeting with all the major oil companies to work out strategies on how we can stop this trend and stop the risk this category of workers now pose to the State.
“Government is also investigating the rumoured or suspected outbreak of the coronavirus at Bonny Island.
“Our team of medical personnel led by the Commissioner for Health has visited Bonny Island and collected samples from suspected cases for analysis and immediate intervention should the results indicate the outbreak of the virus in the area,” the governor said.
The Governor commended all health workers who have continued to put their lives at risk in the forefront in the battle against COVID-19.
In a related development, half-naked elderly Ogoni women on Tuesday stormed Bori town, the headquarters of Khana Local Government area to protest the continued isolation of the manager of the demolished Prodest Hotel, Dr. Bariledum Azoroh by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
The hotel manager is currently being quarantined in one of the Isolation centres in Port Harcourt after being alleged to have tested positive for Coronavirus.
The women issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Rivers State Government to set free the manager of the demolished Prodest Hotel, Azoroh or they would protest totally naked.
The half-naked women, who marched across the streets of Zakpo in Bori, Khana local government of River State threatened that if Azoroh (who also an Ogoni) was not released within 24 hours, that is, May 27, they would protest naked on the streets of Bori, which was not only an abomination, but a curse in Africa tradition and culture.
The angry women alleged that Azoroh, who was recently declared to have contracted COVID-19 by the state government had been moved from Elekahia Isolation centre to Eleme Quarantine centre among other COVID-19 patients.
Rivers State commissioner for Information and communications, Paulinus Nsirim had on Sunday, May 23, announced that the state had recorded 27 new positive Coronavirus cases, among whom was the Manager of Prodest Hotel, Eleme.
