Two children of a deceased COVID-19 patient in Rivers and a pastor praying for his recovery have contracted the virus, Governor Nyesom Wike has declared.

The State has recorded 13 cases with two deaths.

Updating the State on efforts to contain the pandemic on Friday, Wike declared wearing of face-masks in public places have become mandatory across Rivers.

He blamed security operatives deployed to enforce borders’ closure for sabotaging the efforts, accusing them of receiving gratifications to allow people into the state.

He vowed the borders would enforce be tightened with the inauguration of a Task Force of on Border Closure comprising of Rivers indigenes.

He said: “The wearing of face mask in all public places is now compulsory throughout the state.”

“The State 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 places.”

The Governor also read the riot acts to traditional rulers of recalcitrant suburbs, including traders who have consistently defied the closedown of market places and other areas.

He threatened he would not hesitate to totally lock down those areas. Areas facing the axe include Rumuokoro, Rumukurushi and Elimgbu, and the Oil Mill Market, which the Governor vowed could remain under lock and keys for the remainder of his tenure unless residents comply with the lockdown order.

Speaking on the transmission of the virus in Rivers State, Wike reinforced that it was fallout of sabotage by security agencies and their operatives.

“The logical conclusion therefore, is that the pattern of transmission of COVID-19 in the state is evidentially 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 7th 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, (names withheld) 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.”

Wike, while agreeing with President Muhammadu Buhari on the gradual re-opening of the country, however insisted that the state would continue to take critical steps as they affect its peculiarities.”

samictelecoms12:
I can't laugh oo

Wiseandtrue:
Before nkor


I am glad that some governors are taking drastic steps

They should equally retain it, if they want to have peace of mind.

bukkysam:
bunch of thieves

bukkysam:
Awon ole jatijati

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, various state governors in across the 36 states of the federation ordered for total closure of their respective state’s borders with many of them placing emphasis on their land borders.

The Governors Enugu and Ebonyi were among those who called for total border closure and restriction of Inter-State vehicular movements.

Enugu State Government had On March 31, 2020 following the confirmation of two COVID-19 cases in the state ordered the closure of all land borders and inter-state transportation until further notice.

Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State had also in the same vein ordered for a total closure of the state’s boundaries with other states. This announcement of land border closure comes at a time the state has not recorded any COVID-19 case.

Men of the Nigerian Police were deployed to the borders to ensure total compliance with the state government’s directives to stop inter-state human and vehicular movements.

However things took a different turn as both states recorded new cases which were people who returned to the respective states (Enugu And Ebonyi) from other states at time the borders were closed.

Enugu State Governemt announced a new confirmed case in the state on 29th April 2020 in a person who had just returned into the state during the time the state’s borders were closed.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, “The confirmed case reportedly travelled out of Enugu on the 28th of March, 2020, and returned from Jos, Plateau State, two weeks ago on April 14.

“The case reportedly developed symptoms on Tuesday, April 21, and reported to a frontline health centre in the state on Saturday, April 25.”

In the same vein Ebonyi State Govt announced their second confirm case in the state on April 29, 2020. Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezuruike said “It is actually a case of a 27-year-old male who was coming back from Asaba to Ebonyi state with his seven months pregnant wife and a made and on Sunday, the bus that was carrying them, stopped them at Ishieke junction in Ebonyi local government area of the state.”

This brings us to the burning question: How did these corona virus patients pass through different state borders?

These new cases in the states confirmed the several reports making rounds online that security agents mounted at the border were collecting varying amount of money to allow motorists and commuters into the various states that has closed their borders.

In an article tittled, ‘How police, military extort at COVID-19 checkpoints’ written by and published on The Guardian Nigeria’s website on April 7 2020, alleged that men of the Nigeria Police Force were deployed to man states’ closed borders in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, Umuahia, Jalingo, Oyo, Osun, Imo and other towns were extorting motorists and allowing them access to cross the closed borders.

According to the article, “The police and other security agencies have been accused of profiteering from the lockdown put in place to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Some residents in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, Umuahia, Jalingo and other major towns told The Guardian yesterday that rather than enforce the restriction, the operatives, including military and immigration personnel, were helping themselves to pecuniary gains. “

Some State Governors angered by the development took drastic actions even to extent of appointing civilians to man their respective borders. The Action many has described as “caused by breach of trust between the state governments and the Police” . [/u]

In a circular published on the Enugu States Official Website titled “ COVID-19 lockdown: Gov. Ugwuanyi directs Council Chairmen, Councilors, Neighborhood Watch Groups, Youths, others to man land boundaries” Gov Ugwuanyi directed all the 17 Local Government Council Chairmen “to mobilize all Development Center Administrators, Councilors, Traditional Rulers and Presidents General of Communities as well as Neighborhood Watch Groups and Youth Leaders within their jurisdiction to man the borders of their local Government Council Areas that are contiguous with other States”.

A part of the circular reads [i] “Following reports that persons on non-essential duties have continued to traverse the boundaries of Enugu State “with the tacit support of some unscrupulous persons” despite the state government’s COVID-19 Containment Order (Executive Order No. 1 of 2020) in force, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has directed all the 17 Local Government Council Chairmen “to mobilize all Development Center Administrators, Councilors, Traditional Rulers and Presidents General of Communities as well as Neighborhood Watch Groups and Youth Leaders within their jurisdiction to man the borders of their local Government Council Areas that are contiguous with other States”.

Anambra State was not left out as Gov. Willie Obiano drafted drafted his personal aides to go man the state borders.

In an official document released by the state government on Thursday titled “Special posting of political appointees to critical border locations to help enforce border closure special assistants to the governor“., Governor Obiano drafted a list of some of his low cadre aides and inducted them into borders personnel as extra securities.
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According to a circular released by the Anambra state govt, all these SAs are to patrol the state borders from 6pm in the evening to 6am in the morning, starting from today May 1st.

From the actions of these governors can we safely say that the governors are losing (or has lost) confidence on the on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agency deployed to man the borders?

If yes, can we also safely say that the Governors are afraid to tell the police that they have failed in their duty to man the closed borders?

Could the deployment of civilians to man borders already manned by the police be an indication that the Police has failed the governors hence the need for them (the governors) to deploy civilians?

The administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, in continuation of its benevolence and support to residents of the state, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, today, through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) presented palliatives to the state chapter of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria, at her secretariat at National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu.

Complying with the directives of Gov. Ugwuanyi, SEMA has been quietly distributing relief materials, such as rice, noodles, eggs, chicken, among other food items, to orphanage homes, hospitals, People with Disabilities (PWDs) and the poorest of the poor, to cushion the effect of the pandemic on the lives of the beneficiaries.

Some of the places visited so far include:

-Various churches in the state for the vulnerable and poorest of the poor in their communities

- PWDs at Oji River LGA, Udenu LGA, Nkanu West LGA and Enugu City

- Cheshire Home, Enugu

- Red Cross Motherless Babies Home

- Mother of Christ Motherless Babies Home

- Mother Louisa Charity Home

- Rehabilitation Centre, Emene

- Old People’s Home

- ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane, Enugu

- Ntasi Obi Ndi No Na Afufu Hospital, Enugu

- Annunciation Hospital, Enugu

- Mother of Christ Hospital, Enugu

- Home for the Needy Children

The state government’s palliatives were also extended, today, to the State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists.

Mr Gawat wrote on Twitter, ” FLASH: The Incident Commander of #Covid19Lagos and Governor of Lagos State, Mr @jidesanwoolu has announced the discharge of 12 more #Covid19 patients; 9 males and 3 females including a Ukrainian today…. making a total of 199 recoveries in Lagos State. #ForAGreaterLagos