Politics
By Benprince Ezeh
IN a bid to contain coronavirus spread in the state, River State government has imposed a curfew from Tuesday, June 2. Governor Nyemsom Wike of Rivers State said the curfew starts from 8pm to 6am daily.
Wike made the announcement during the statewide broadcast on Wednesday, May 27.
Wike said that as a further security measure, the state government decided to impose a nighttime curfew on all the 23 Local Government Areas of the State until further notice.
“As a government, we are doing our best and will continue to spare no efforts to protect our State and advance the best interest of our people. Nothing can scare, deter or derail us from this path.
“We implore all residents to be vigilant and report all suspicious characters and movements in their neighbourhoods to security agencies,” he said.
According to the governor, “Our intelligence has intercepted a clandestine plan by some criminal elements led by Bobosky to cause security breaches in the State by instigating violence and burning down churches in Khana, Eleme, Gokana, Tai and Oyigbo Local Government Areas of the State.
“We want to assure all residents that the State Government is fully ready and prepared to deal with the situation and continue to guarantee the protection of lives and property throughout the State,” he said
Wike urged the leaders of the communities to help in securing their villages from the hands of hoodlums who doesn’t wish good but violence in the communities.
“Leaders and vigilante groups in our communities are to work with the security agencies to enforce the curfew in their localities and arrest and prosecute anyone that violates the curfew order,” he said.
The governor noted that in the last two months the government implemented several calculated measures in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus in the state through the total lockdown.
“Arguably, these measures and your sacrifices have enabled us, so far, to contain and limit the spread of this virus to 4 out of the 23 local government areas of the State.
“Some of these measures were severe, but necessary, including the total lockdown of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas, which are, without doubt, the social and economic never-centres of our State.
“In continuation of our struggle against the spread of covid-19 in our State, we had planned to resume the total lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas from Wednesday, May 27, 2020.
“However, after a comprehensive review of the measures we have 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 a vaccine.
“These are not difficult measures that should warrant any excuses for negligence, none or ineffective compliance,” Wike said.
– May 27, 2020 @ 16:45 GMT /
Tags: Covid-19: Rivers State imposes curfew in 23 LGs
