Governor Wike announces temporary lifting of lockdown for residents to restock foodstuffs and medicines

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has announced the temporary lifting of the total lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas for two days only, with effect from Tuesday 12th May 2020.

Governor Wike made the announcement in a State-Wide broadcast on Sunday night. He said that the total lockdown will be lifted on Tuesday 12th May, 2020 and Wednesday, 13th May, 2020.

Governor Wike said that the lockdown will be reinstated on Thursday, 14th May, 2020.

He said: "Consequently, we have given due consideration to the propositions on the way forward by well-meaning citizens of the State, and after a cautious review of the situation, decided to implement a partial relaxation of the lockdown measures, to enable residents to have some fresh air and replenish their foodstuffs and medicines.

"To this end, I hereby announce the temporary lifting of the total lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Governments Areas for two days only, with effect from Tuesday 12th May 2020.

"All shops, supermarkets, and malls can open to the public for Tuesday and Wednesday, 12 and 13 May 2020.

" Similarly, all hospitals and banks can also open and provide full services to the public;

"While oil and gas companies are required to submit the list of their staff on essential duties to Government, note that there is no ban on the lifting of petroleum products from depots and other receptacles.

"The total lockdown on Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas will be reinstated on Thursday 14th May 2020 and remain until further notice."

Governor Wike said all other established restrictions under the Executive Orders on social distancing are still in force.
He said: "Compulsory wearing of face mask or scarfs in vehicles and public places;

· closure of all land, sea and air borders and entry routes into the State; and

· closure of all open markets, including slaughters, hotels, guest houses, cinemas, bars and restaurants; and

· ban on gathering, including public burials, weddings, and religious gathering of more than 50 persons.Once again, thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

"Please note that our enemy is invisible. stay at home, maintain social distancing, wash your hands regularly and stay safe."

He said every measure the State Government has imposed was dictated by an assessment of the state's situation, the trend of transmission and the conviction that it was the right thing to do in the circumstance.

"As a Government, we are doing our utmost best, in the face of daunting challenges, to prevent COVID-19 from taking hold in Rivers State; to stop any possible community transmission of this disease before it is too late.

"And we shall continue on this trajectory because the alternative would spell a greater disaster for our State and our people.

"More so, when these are not arbitrary measures but fully prescribed and backed by the ordinary laws of our State, especially, Executive Orders numbers: 1 to 6.
"So far, all our measures and actions are not arbitrary but fully prescribed, guided and backed by the ordinary laws of our State, especially Executive Order numbers 1 to 6, which apply equally to all persons throughout the State. As a Government, we are obliged to enforce our laws, and in the present circumstance, we have done so without fear or favour," he said.
He added: "We equally made it loud and clear that in the fight against COVI/D-19 there would be no sacred cows; no double standards, and no sentiments of any kind, whether political, ethnic, religious, status, emotional or otherwise.
"In the last few days we have pursued with vigour and secured several convictions against those who intentional violated our COVID-19 containment laws in the same way others States are doing.
"The forfeited trucks to be auctioned by the Deputy Sherriff were not confiscated arbitrarily by the State Government, but by the orders of our Courts."

Governor Wike stated that the demolition of the two hotels in Eleme was done in line with extant laws.
He said: "Similarly, we acted against the hotelier because, apart from using the facility to jeopardize the lives of our citizens in violation of the extant law, the owner audaciously unleashed thugs lead by the Eleme Local Government Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party and inflicted severe injuries on our task-force members who went to enforce the law against the continued operation of the hotel.
" As we speak, nobody knows the fate of the lives of most of the victims of that brazen and deadly attack given the severity of the head injuries they sustained.
:And so, we’ve done no wrong as all our actions were taken in good faith and justified by, under and within the purview of the Executive Orders, which have neither been challenged nor set aside by any competent court of law."

The Governor said he remains focused on protecting Rivers people.

He said: "Therefore, while we welcome genuine criticisms directed towards strengthening our intervention measures; it is no use joining issues with uninformed critics and social media legal practitioners who, blinded and prodded by sheer politics, bias and hatred, have opted to demonized and paint our lawful and responsible actions in bad light.



"Granted that we may not have totally achieved our targets, but we are convinced that, so far, the lockdown and the other measures have impacted greatly in containing and preventing the onslaught of the pandemic on Rivers State.



"We therefore thank the entire people of Rivers State for the overwhelming understanding you have shown even as you continue to endure the pains of the restrictions on your wellbeing and fundamental freedoms."

Simeon Nwakaudu,

Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.

10th May, 2020.

No, let him not relax the lockdown. By the way, which money will they use to buy food and medicine, the one he shared to the residents? Nigeria, a land where politicians are more powerful than the people who empowered them, a theater of some sort.

Confused man, always acting before thinking....with which money will the people use to restock?
When the price of food items are already skyrocket?

Wike is always one step ahead.

Odiegwu really

Mad people in government

In an attempt to battle the FG, Wike ended up PUNISHING his own people who he claims to love and fight for.

Those praising him should go and feed those he locked down


If it was Buhari that pulled down people hotel,PDP would have called the international community, EFCC,EU,AU,USA,UK,ICC,EFCC,POLICE, BOYS SCOUT AND EVEN MILLITANTS.....��������

K

Promxy94:
Wike is always one step ahead.

One step ahead of being mad or what?? Mtchewwwwwwwwww...

I condemn Wike for demolishing buildings and auctioning cars but sincerely Wike's actions have a gone a long way in limiting/containing the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

Nigerians never take instructions. When the first lockdown was announced weeks ago, most people didn't take it seriously and went about their normal lives. They even turned my street to a market despite warnings from the task force, but since Thursday last week, it has been total compliance.

Infact, i believe Rivers is the only state where there is actual lockdown in Nigeria right now. There are no people on the streets, no cars, the police are patrolling not not major roads but inner streets to ensure total compliance.

If Lagos and Kano governors had done half of what Wike did, their states wouldn't
have recorded so much deaths. This was the draconian tactics used by Xi Jinping and it worked for them.

America with all their useless human rights organizations calling lockdown a violation of human rights, have recorded over 80k deaths so far.

In Ecuador, people have been dying like flies, some on the streets and some in their homes and their medical system has been overwhelmed for the past one month due to this disease. Infact, it got so bad that some families had to stay with dead bodies in their homes as a result of the morgues being full.

Some even started burning dead people on the streets after the govt failed to take them away.

Imagine if Nigeria cases got that bad, just imagine. Please everyone stay safe.

This guy sef

Honestly, this Man is highly confused at the moment...


Neverthless, he still stands tall in a zigzagged country, Nigeria

So what's has been the achievement of the lockdown? Africa is truly cursed with bad leaders. Very unfortunate