Rivers Laments Death of COVID-19 Task Force Member

· To build schools at site of demolished hotels

· US-based Group hails state’s efforts to curtail spread of virus

TRACKING_____Rivers State Government has expressed sadness over the death of one of the members of the state COVD-19 task force attacked by suspected thugs at Prodest Hotel in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area of the state last Saturday.

This is as the state announced that it would build primary schools at the sites of the two hotels demolished for violating restrictions announced by the state to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Members of the state Task Force on COVID-19 were attacked by suspected thugs led by the Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Eleme Local Government Area, Mr Princewill Osaroejiji.

Irked by the incident, the state government declared Osaroejiji wanted and placed a N5 million bounty on information leading to his arrest. The state also demolished the hotel and Onne-based Etemeteh hotels for violating the state’s Executive Order 6 which barred hotels and guest houses from operating or face demolition. The demolition drew mixed reactions as some person felt the action was too drastic while others said it was in order.

Addressing journalist yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, lamented that the operative died as a result of injuries sustained in the attack.

His words: “As we speak, one of the Task Force operatives lost his life last night. Governor Nyesom Wike and the Rivers State Security Council took the decision to demolish the hotel in the interest of Rivers State and her people. Days before that demolition, everyone was aware that the State Government sensitized the people on the consequence of flouting Executive Order 6.

“Having demolished that hotel, Governor Wike has approved that a primary school be constructed at that location to serve Rivers people. This is what a responsive government will do.

“Eleme people are happy with the demolition. In several publications they made after the demolition, they have declared that Prodest Hotel is a criminal hideout and a den for cultists.

“They added that Prodest Hotel is a centre for gun-running by the wanted PDP Youth Leader. It was his criminal tendencies that emboldened him to unleash mayhem on State officials when the Hotel Manager invited him.

“These are facts that the political analysts have turned away from. They have allowed their political enmity with Governor Wike to override their objective judgment.”

Nsirim maintained that even the Chairman of Nigeria Hotels Owners Association Rivers State Chapter, Mr. Eugene Nwaizu, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt expressed surprise that the hotels that were demolished were not even registered with the body and disobeyed the Executive Order.

While blaming political opponents for the spate of criticisms that trailed the demolition, Nsirim said the Rivers State Government would remain focused and not be distracted by “unfortunate schemes by ill-mannered politicians, struggling for political space at the expense of their people”.

He listed other states that had done even more grievous things and noted that their actions did not attract criticism because they were governed by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Meanwhile the Ogbakor Ikwerre USA and Canada, Inc., a non-political sociocultural group of Iwhnurohna indigenes in North America, has commended Governor Nyesom Wike for the bold steps he has taken to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the state.

Members of the USA and Canada-based group have also urged residents of River State to comply with the governor’s directive to save lives. The diaspora organisation specially commended the governor for his early action to order a lockdown of the state.

In a statement issued from the office of OIUSA in New York, USA, the president of the group, Mr. Eric Welle, urged residents of Rivers State to comply with the government’s stay-at-home order, adding that in the absence of a vaccine and a permanent cure for the disease, the way to defeat it is by staying at home.

“We commend the state government’s efforts to enforce the stay-at-home order because it is in the interest of all citizens from the local government to the national level to comply with the directive,” Welle said, adding, “In many countries authorities have taken severe measures to ensure that people stay at home.”