COVID-19 Outbreak Exposes Wike’s Grandstanding – Chief Eze

BY AMOS DUNIA, IN ABUJA – A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has said that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously exposed Governor Nyesom Wike weaknesses and grandstanding in governance.

Chief Eze said that all Governor Wike has succeeded in doing in the past couple of days is only to act like a military dictator, by dishing out orders and prohibitions as measures to curb the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the world.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt and made available to Forefront News, Eze noted that Wike in a recent statewide broadcast, directed the closure of markets and barricading of all entrance and exit points in Rivers; shutting out neighbouring states and subjecting inhabitants to solitary confinement but failed to put in place needed kits and facilities for the testing and treatment of cases.

Eze pointedly said that unlike the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi that put in place structures that curtailed Ebola virus, Rivers State is presently lacking in the necessary facilities to handle Covid-19 cases. 

According to him; “The state does not have any Covid-19 Test Centre and most sadly, without any organized or strategic framework to enable residents who are symptomatic or asymptomatic or those who are reasonably suspicious of coming in contact with any case or suspected case to present themselves for test. “Nonetheless, the Governor hurriedly embarked upon a complete lockdown without any consideration for the above factors and this simply portrays him as grossly flippant in the administration and welfare of the good people of Rivers State.” 

Eze however said that it is in order for citizens to remain within the province of their places of rest and observe social distancing as directed by medical experts.

He lampooned Wike saying that it is grossly irrational and conspicuously suicidal for the governor to order closure of markets and other places of bazaar without first, putting into consideration the resultant effects of the implementation of such directive on the citizens especially, the poor of society. 

He further said; “It is inhumane and characteristically wrong in essence and manner for the government of Rivers to take pleasure in imposing hunger and starvation on the good people of the state.  

“Governor Wike cannot claim to be solving one problem and ending up creating even a bigger pandemic as hunger and fear kill faster than any endemic disease. 

“One would have loved to see a situation where the total shutdown is followed by food supplies and subventions to Rivers people to cushion the effect of market closure and sit at home order, as was the case in China, America, UK, and other worse-hit countries including our dear Lagos State that have resolved to supply food stuffs to her citizens and provide other palliative measures.

“The implication of the closure of markets which according to the Governor, include both small and big markets in all the areas of the State means that the people of the State can go ahead to starve to death. Is this governance?

“To worsen the situation, the Governor has refused to provide any palliative measure or even consider the payment of the salaries of civil servants as the issue of payment of the minimum wage increase approved by the Federal Government is not under the purview of the Governor at the moment.

“One could liken the situation in Rivers State without any testing machines or sound Isolation centres as obtainable in other States to the situation in Burundi, the only assumed African country without any case of COVID 19 where the Minister of Health was asked what is the secret behind the zero case of COVID 19 in the country he said ‘This is very simple, we don’t have the test kits’. Apart from the Index case in the State, the State lacks every other means through which her citizens’ status can be checked or determined.”

Commenting on the Index case that introduced the Corona virus to Rivers State, Eze urged security agencies to investigate how the lady was smuggled into the State and expose the so called highly placed personnel that facilitated her coming to the State and why the General Manager of The Tide Newspapers was sacked because the paper reported the ugly incident.

Eze said; “The fact remains that Lagos is the Chief host and epic center of the disease with over 40 confirmed cases, yet, the government of Lagos has continued to manage the outbreak with diplomacy and sense of humanity. Markets, Casinos and other places of exchange has remained open to citizens because of their importance in day to day living. This has earned the State a whopping sum of N10B from the Federal Government apart from other foreign donations. This is how a serious Government is ran.”