Governor Wike of Rivers state, has accused the owner of one of the two hotels demolished in Rivers State, for unleashing thugs allegedly led by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Leader in Eleme Local Government on the State COVID-19 task-force members for caring out their lawful duties.
Governor Wike made this allegation while addressing the people of Rivers State in a state broadcast on Sunday 10th May 2020, where he blasted critics who condemned the demolition of the two hotels by the state special task-force members, for allegedly flouting the COVID-19 lockdown.
Speaking on the actions of the task-force members on the hotel demolition, which he supervised, he said:
“We acted against the hotelier because, apart from using the facility to jeopardize the lives of our citizens in violation of the extant law, the owner audaciously unleashed thugs lead by the Eleme Local Government Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party and inflicted severe injuries on our task-force members who went to enforce the law against the continued operation of the hotel,” he said.
“While we welcome genuine criticisms directed towards strengthening our intervention measures; it is no use joining issues with uninformed critics and social media legal practitioners who, blinded and prodded by sheer politics, bias and hatred, have opted to demonize and paint our lawful and responsible actions in a bad light,” he added.
The governor in his state broadcast, said all the actions taken so far, especially that of the hotel demolition, were not arbitrary measures but fully prescribed and backed by the ordinary laws of the State, especially, Executive Orders numbers: 1 to 6.
He added that every measure that has imposed was dictated by an assessment of the state’s situation, the trend of transmission and the conviction that it was the right thing to do in the circumstance.
“As we speak, nobody knows the fate of the lives of most of the victims of that brazen and deadly attack given the severity of the head injuries they sustained.
And so, we’ve done no wrong as all our actions were taken in good faith and justified by, under and within the purview of the Executive Orders, which have neither been challenged nor set aside by any competent court,” he added.