Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has urged traditional rulers
\nand opinion leaders of Bonny Kingdom to ensure that their people
\nunderstand that COVID-19 is real.<\/p>\n
They are also to cooperate with the state government to ensure that all
\nCOVID-19 protocols are obeyed to contain the spread of the pandemic in
\nthe area.<\/p>\n
Addressing the king and traditional rulers of Grand Bonny at Government
\nHouse Port Harcourt,\u00a0 Governor Wike said he would not want the area to
\nbe the epicentre of the disease in the State.<\/p>\n
“Bonny is strategic to the national economy and we have to work together
\nto ensure that the disease does not cripple the economy.<\/p>\n
“We have to make our people stop living in denial about the existence of
\nCOVID-19 because such an attitude will not allow them to take the
\nnecessary precautions.<\/p>\n
“The results of samples collected from Bonny indicate that it could be
\nan epicentre of the pandemic in the state if drastic action is not
\ntaken.<\/p>\n
“It is not something our people should pretend that it does not exist.
\nSomething that has taken the world by storm and killing more than
\nconventional warfare should be taken seriously.<\/p>\n
“When this pandemic started in the State, I raised the alarm that 60 per
\ncent of the cases were from rig workers and had to impose lockdown of
\nPort Harcourt and Obio\/Akpor Local Government Areas.<\/p>\n
“So many were not happy. What will be my joy to close down businesses if
\nnot to save a life.\u00a0 I\u00a0 have the responsibility to make sure that the
\npeople that have given me their mandate are alive. Will I be governor of
\nthe dead? Some of us do not appreciate that we have to make sacrifices
\nif that is going to save our people”,\u00a0 he said.<\/p>\n
Governor Wike said the State Security Council would meet on June 17,
\n2020, to review the situation in Bonny to consider a possible lockdown.<\/p>\n
He said the rising cases of the pandemic in the State should give every
\nright-thinking person serious concern.<\/p>\n
He announced that the State would soon publish guidelines that would
\nguide the conduct of marriages during this period.<\/p>\n
Amayanabo of Grand Bonny,\u00a0 king Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple
\nnoted that despite efforts made to enlighten the people, most of them
\nstill live in denial.<\/p>\n
While pledging the support of the kingdom to the state government in
\naddressing the health crisis,\u00a0 King Pepple appealed that medical relief
\nand palliatives should be provided to ease the hardship the people might
\nexperience during a lockdown.<\/p>\n
Vice-chairman of Bonny Council of Chiefs,\u00a0 SeAlabo Haniel Jack-Wilson-
\nPepple commended Governor Wike for putting the lives of the people first
\nin the fight against COVID-19 and for approving a 30-Bed Treatment
\nCentre for Bonny.<\/p>\n
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has urged traditional rulers and opinion leaders of Bonny Kingdom to ensure that their people understand that COVID-19 is real. They are also to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n