The government of Rivers State Nigeria, has threatened to shut down the oil and gas-rich Bonny Island due to the alarming rise of Corona virus cases in the Island.
Rivers state last Tuesday emerged with stunning record when it shot into the second position in the daily, national COVID-19 chart published by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recording 103 cases after Lagos, which had 216.
The data further showed that Rivers state had so far recorded 592 cases with 347 active cases and 23 deaths. The governor, Barr Nyesom Wike who met with the traditional rulers of Bonny in Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said this is not acceptable.
He told them to commence enlightenment programs and educate their people on the Covid19 subject matter.
He said there was an urgent need for residents of the Island to cooperate with the state government to ensure that all COVID-19 protocols were obeyed to contain the spread of the pandemic in the area.
“Bonny is strategic to the national economy and we have to work together to ensure that the disease does not cripple the economy. We have to make our people to stop living in denial about the existence of COVID-19 because such attitude will not allow them to take the necessary precautions. The results of samples collected from Bonny indicate that it could be an epicentre of the pandemic in the state if a drastic action is not taken.
“It is not something our people should pretend that it does not exist. Something that has taken the world by storm and killing more than conventional warfare should be taken seriously. When this pandemic started in the State, I raised the alarm that 60% of the cases were from rig workers and had to impose lockdown of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas.
“So many people were not happy. What will be my joy to close down businesses if not to save lives. I have the responsibility to make sure that the people that have given me their mandate are alive. Will I be governor of the dead? Some of us do not appreciate that we have to make sacrifices if that is going to save our people”.
He hinted that the State Security Council would meet on today to review the situation in Bonny and consider a possible lockdown.
Chibisi Ohakah, Abuja
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