PORT HARCOURT – GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike on Friday declared “I have the political will” to enforce orders to contain Coronavirus in Rivers state as he vowed to demolish any hotel found operating against the lockdown on Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Reacting to this and sundry perceived excesses of the Governor’s aggression in checking the spread of the pandemic, Civil Society Group Leader, Karl Uchegbu cautioned Wike to emulate counterparts in other climes in exercising “courage with sensitivity”
Wike had charged the Covid-19 LG Task Forces, replicas of the State Task Force to”From tomorrow (Saturday) move in, identify any hotel operating and we will bring it down. I have the political will. Those who disobey will face the consequences.
He charged the LG task forces to be decisive in enforcing key aspects of the State Government’s orders on COVID-19, promising reward of placement in the state’s payroll.
“Nobody should come from outside to compound our problems Then you want to import this invisible killer.
We will not allow that. If we allow what is happening to continue, we don’t have the capacity to face it. And there will be no support from any quarter”, he said.
Karl Uchegbu, Co-Chairman, Covid-19 Situation Room, a civil society, media coalition to monitor the good, the good, bad, and ugly of stakeholders’ role on containment of the pandemic and its toll on Rivers masses urged the Governor to thread with caution.
Uchegbu in an analogy said, “The challenge of leadership is to balance bravery with compassion, courage with sensitivity. Watch Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York state, hardest hit US state, you see this in action. Sanwo-Olu of Lagos also comes close.
“Absolutism can never be justified under any circumstances. Is it when the Rivers State Governor starts ordering summary executions that we will know he has crossed the bar?
“Cars are being impounded and auctioned, buildings to be demolished. People are being arraigned without legal representation. Please define dictatorship for me.”
