As the total and complete lockdown of parts of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area came into effect, yesterday, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has warned residents of the state capital against violating the lockdown order placed on parts of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, saying that the government would unleash the full weight of the law on any defaulters of the directive to stay-at-home.
The warning comes in the wake of the enforcement of lockdown on parts of the city in keeping with efforts to ensure social distancing and the protection of the people as part of measures to ensure that there was no case of Coronavirus in the state again.
The total lockdown, which was announced during a live television briefing by the governor on Friday, came into effect 06:00am, yesterday.
The affected areas are local business hubs where streets are overflowing with traders such as Creek Road, including Prison junction, Nembe Waterside, Cultural Centre, Yam Zone and Ahoada Street.”
The lockdown also include the bustling and densely populated Diobu areas, including Education Bus Stop, Kalabari by Odi Street, Afikpo Street, Gambia Street, the entire Ikoku Spare Part Zone, Rivers State University Roundabout, and Abali Park under the flyover (both descending and ascending) at Mile 1 and Isaac Boro Park.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, Last Saturday, announced a total lockdown of parts of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, effective 6am on April 19, 2020, and listed the suburbs on total and complete lockdown during a state broadcast, last Saturday.
The governor said: “While we commend our people for generally adhering to our restrictions on social distancing, we deplore the lack of compliance with the order on shutting business activities by some residents in parts of Port Harcourt City.
“These people are endangering the lives of everybody in the state. Consequently, we are constrained to place the following areas of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area under a total and complete lockdown until further notice: Creek Road, including Prison junction, Nembe Waterside, Cultural Centre, Yam Zone and Ahoada Street. Diobu area, including Education Bus Stop, Kalabari by Odi Street, Afikpo Street, Gambia Street, the entire Ikoku Spare Part Zone, Rivers State University Roundabout, and Abali Park under the flyover (both descending and ascending).”
Wike said though the measures are painful, it was the right thing to do to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus in these areas.
He said: “All residents and visitors to these neighbourhoods must stay at home. All business premises, shops and commercial interactions must also cease in these places with immediate effect.
“We know how painful these measures are to the residents in particular, but at this critical moment, it is the right thing to do as a precaution to avoid potential exposure to and spreading of the virus from these areas.”
The governor warned that the same steps would be taken against parts of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, if they continue to violate the state government’s directive.
Wike said: “We have also noticed that stores and remote spaces are being converted to mini-markets in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area by unscrupulous persons in defiance of the ban on market activities in the state.
“This should stop immediately; otherwise, we shall be compelled to lockdown the entire local government area and deal with those flouting our directives and undermining our efforts.”
He regretted that commercial bus and taxi operators in the state were crowding their vehicles with passengers in disregard of the order on social distancing.
The governor said: “This is dangerous and unacceptable. The state government will in the next few days take appropriate actions against all transporters should they fail to immediately enforce social distancing practices and the mandatory use of sanitizers and face masks in their operations.
“We are equally monitoring the level of compliance to our restrictions on social gathering in all other local government areas, and will take appropriate measures against communities that chose to imperil the lives of others by refusing to practice social distancing and operating within the prescriptions of the law.”