Wike alleges sabotage of Rivers’ efforts against COVID-19

Rivers State Governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has alleged that some elements were sabotaging his state’s efforts to battle the Coronavirus pandemic through sea, land and the domestic wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Speaking at the Government House in Port Harcourt while inaugurating the State Task Force on Border Closure, Wike, who described the battle against COVID-19 as a matter of life and death, accused airlines of continuing to fly into the state, with their passengers sneaking into town to evade quarantine.
He said the resistance of the state against acts of sabotage was being viewed as a fight against the Federal Government, urging members of the newly-created task force not to join security agencies to extort money from people, in order to preserve the aim of the task force.
“We are being sabotaged at sea, land and at the domestic wing of the airport. Sometimes, they secretly receive flights and before we know about it, the people sneak into the town. The task force in Ikwerre must check anyone coming from the airport,” he said.
Wike also accused the Federal Government of concentrating efforts to curb the spread of the virus on only Lagos, Ogun and Kano states.
He made the allegation while receiving the Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, who was recently posted to Rivers State.
“NCDC is building laboratories in Lagos, Ogun and Kano, without building in Rivers State. This is a state that is exposed to several foreign and local visitors with no single federal intervention.”
Governor Wike said the Nigeria government is unfair by not giving the state its support to fight the disease while “the northern governors and the Kano State government has demanded for assistance,” and have received.
“Initially, the Kano State governor criticised the federal government over lack of support. When the support came, he said the federal government is doing well. If they also support Rivers State, we will also commend the federal government,” he said.
This is the second time Wike would criticize the federal government over its handling of the covid-19 matter in Nigeria.
He once accused the Federal Government of giving a N10 billion grant to Lagos State to fight the coronavirus while “abandoning” other states of the federation.