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His Excellency Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike COVID-19 Press Briefing On Friday May 1, 2020

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6 years ago

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Protocols,
Thank you and good morning.
Today I’d like to provide our people with an update on the ongoing efforts to contain the transmission of COVID-19 in Rivers State.2. We are in a battle with a dreaded and invisible disease, and as a State Government, we are doing everything within our powers, sparing no efforts to contain this enemy and save the lives of our people.
3. It is therefore important for me to start by expressing our gratitude for everyone that we have engaged in this battle, and most especially, our healthcare workers, who are on the frontlines, working night and day, every day of the week to prevent the mass transmission of this virus in our State. You are all our heroes for your personal and collective sacrifice when it mattered most in the lives of our people.
4. Let me also appreciate the various support groups, including the State Inter-ministerial Taskforce on COVID-19, the State Task-force on the distribution of Palliatives, its counterpart on Food Procurement, as well as our public-spirited donors and the media practitioners for your invaluable efforts and contributions to this decisive fight against COVID-19.
5. Since the manifest importation of COVID-19 virus into our country by the index case, we have taken several measures, including legal, policy and material, to enable us combat, contain and limit the transmission of COVID-19 in Rivers State.
6. Our strategy, from the very beginning, was to contain, prevent or minimize the spread of the disease and save the lives of our people. And so far, we are achieving these objectives significantly.
7. On the 19th of March, 2020, we issued the Declaration, which classified COVID-19 as a dangerous infectious disease, as well as the Quarantine (Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Other Infectious Disease Regulations 2020, and Executive Order No. RVSG-01, 2020 to provide the legal framework for any and all actions required of the State Government under the Quarantine Act to combat the spread of the disease in the State.
8. On the 22nd of March 2020, the State Executive Council mandated the COVID-19 Committee to create mass awareness about the disease and issue necessary advisories to avoid infections and transmission among our people. This Committee immediately swung into action and has since done a lot to sensitization make everyone to be aware of this disease and the measures to prevent infection and spread.
9. With the legal framework established, we immediately proceeded to initiate proactive measures targeted at preventing and or protecting the State and residents from contacting or spreading of COVID-19.
10. On Tuesday 23rd of March 2020, we placed a ban all forms of open religious worship, crusades, vigils, public burials and weddings and closed all public parks, night clubs, cinemas and related outfits.
11. On Friday 26th March 2020, we stepped up our preventive measures by closing all schools and institutions of learning, the State’s land and sea borders as well as all flights out of or into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa and the Airforce Base, Port Harcourt. We also set up surveillance posts at all land and sea entry routes into the State.
12. On 20th April 2020, we executed two additional legal instruments, namely: (i) the Quarantine (Coronavirus) {COVID-19} and Other Infectious Diseases) Regulations (No.2) 2020 and (ii) the Executive order RVSG-03 2020 to strengthen the legal framework for the battle against the spread of COVID-19 in the State with the provision of non-custodial penalties for the violation of extant regulations and the Coronavirus Prevention Border Task Force to enforce the ban on the exit and entry of persons from our borders.
13. Following the failure to comply with our preventive directives and advisories on large gathering and social distancing, we were constrained to place some parts of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, including Obiri-Ikwerre junction, (Ozuoba, Rumualogu) to Choba, and from Education Bus stop to Agip Junction, Ikwerre road, under total lockdown.
14. Presently, Elekahia, including the entire stretch of Rumukalagbor – Elekahia link road, Rumuomasi, including stadium road, and Rumuobiokani are under 24 hours lockdown until further notice.
15. In terms of material and other resources, the State Government have:
• trained over 200 surveillance and ad-hoc personnel;
• established holding and treatment Centres at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospitals as well as the General Hospital Nchia, Eleme;
• trained health workers both in the private and public sectors on infection control measures and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE);
• provided PPE’s for all our health workers directly involved in the fight against COVID-19 and sanitizers and infrared thermometers for us at all public offices;
• established the Rivers State Task Force on Border Closure;
• received 250-bed isolation and treatment tent located at the General Yakubu Gowon Stadium donated by the private-sector led initiative on COVID-19;
• received one GeneXpert RT-PCR testing machine from TOTAL E & P, which is ready to be used and will be deployed any moment we get the necessary reagents;
• procured some ventilators as well as received some others from some private sector donors;
• successfully prosecuted several violators of our orders and secured 188 convictions so far; and
• arrested 45 persons illegally operating night markets in Rumuokoro, Elimgbu and Rumuokurushi communities.
The state of COVID-19 transmission in Rivers State
15. As at today 1st May 2020, Rivers State has recorded 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections, 4 females and 9 males.  Out of this number, 2 have recovered and discharged, 9 are active and receiving medical attention in our treatment centre, while unfortunately, 2 lost their lives because of COVID-19.
16. Recall that we had the first and second cases of coronavirus infections in the State in late March 2020. But it is significant to note that the third case was recorded after a lull of about one-month interval.
17. Furthermore, apart from the sixth case who has no travel history, the rest were returnees to the State from Italy, United Kingdom, and Lagos or persons who had close contacts with already affected persons.
18. Indeed, five of the most recent cases are all children and a relative of the second death case.
19. The logical conclusion therefore, is that the pattern of transmission of COVID-19 in the State is evidentially predicated on importation from outside, just as the rate of infection and progression is also relatively low and arithmetical, when considered from the date of the index case.
20. Generally, we believe that unless there is a sudden and vertical slide into community transmission, we expect our COVID-19 infection and prevalent rate to continue along this low trajectory.
21. This gives us the assurance that our hard work is paying off and Rivers State is certainly not in any dangerous position when compared to the situation in most other States, and we will never be by God’s special grace.
22. This is not to say that we are at the peak of this crisis and that everything about the containment and transmission of COVID-19 is under control. No; we are not, because of the challenges occasioned primarily by the negative elements that continue to deliberately undermine and sabotage our efforts to protect our people from this disease.
23. For instance, the 7th infected case was an offshore oil and gas worker who went and passed a night in a Lagos hotel before returning to Port Harcourt on the 9th of April 2020 with the aid of the security personnel manning our borders. When his symptoms started, he was admitted to a private hospital, (St. Martin’s Hospital) on the 20th and discharged on the 21st of April 2020 before testing positive to the virus after almost over two weeks of close contacts with other people.
24. Had the security agencies not compromised their responsibility at the borders, this man would have been prevented from coming into Port Harcourt and threaten the lives of other people with this virus.
25. Again, on the 29th of April 2020, our surveillance team picked up two men from Niger Republic, who came into the State from Lagos with the help of security personnel despite the closure of the entry routes into the State.
26. And so, so long as security personnel continue to allow people with this virus into the State through the closed borders without first ensuring that they are quarantined and their infection status determined, so long shall our State and our people will be exposed to the threat of contracting COVID-19.
27. In addition, we are virtually fighting this battle without any tangible material support from the Federal Government. We are wondering as most of you may also be, that up till now the NCDC has not established any testing center in the State in spite of our position, huge socio-economic and demographic mix and high transmission threat hanging over us as a result.  Was this deliberate? If not so, why and what was the justification for this dangerous neglect, which is obviously limiting our capacity to expand testing for this virus in the State.
28. But, for us as a Government, every single new infection of COVID-19 in our State is one too many. We shall therefore continue to take every necessary measure to control and possibly end the transmission of this disease in Rivers State in spite of the enormous challenges and lack of concrete support from the Federal Government.
29. It is for the very reason that we have taken our fate in our own hands with the establishment of the Border security task force, which has been mandated to provide and ensure a water-tight situation in all our entry and exit points and prevent any unauthorized entry and or exit of persons and vehicles into the State during the period of the closure.
30. These are all Rivers sons and we expect them to protect the interest of the State at all cost, and not compromise and risk the health and survival of our people in exchange for some filthy naira notes.
31. We also expect and request the security agencies to cooperate with the taskforce and fully enforce not only our order on the closure of our borders, but also Mr. President’s directive on the ban on inter-state travels from next Monday, 4th May 2020.
Procurement/distribution of food items to vulnerable households
32. On the 26 of April 2020, I announced the provision of 2 billion naira by the State Government for the procurement of food items from local farmers for distribution to vulnerable households across the State.
33. We also established a credible Committee, headed by Ambassador Desmond Akawor to undertake the thankless job of distributing the procured food stuffs and ensure they get to the targeted groups.
34. Reports reaching us from independent monitors indicate that, so far, both Committees are creditably executing their respective mandate in spite of the difficult logistical challenge that is involved.
35. As a matter of fact, the Procurement Committee has so far purchased and delivered to our ware houses local food items, including garri, yam, beans, fish, palm oil, plantain, tomatoes and onions worth over 590 million naira.
36.  Similarly, the Food Distribution Committee has successfully distributed food packages to vulnerable households in 16 Local Government Areas, namely: Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Ikwerre, Eleme, Omuma, Bonny, Opobo/Nkoro, Tai, Okrika, Etche, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Oyigbo, Gokana, Khana, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.
37. The Committee will ensure that vulnerable households in the remaining seven Local Government Areas also receive their food packages before the end of next week.
38. The Committee has also received donation of food items from a number of individuals and corporate bodies, which it is distributing to the needy among us.
39. Details of the list of food donors and what was donated shall be published in the national dailies in due course as a measure of public appreciation for their kind gestures. This applies also to those who have made cash donations to the State Government’s effort at combatting the coronavirus.
40 Let me assure our people that the delivery of palliatives and other relief measures to vulnerable households is a continuous exercise and the State Government will continue to provide funding for this purpose.
Conclusion
41. While we are not under any illusion about the presence of the risk of this virus in our midst, we are making tremendous progress that clearly underscores our belief that our aggressive strategy and targeted measures have been effective in curbing the spread seeing COVID-19 in our State.
42. Accordingly, the directives and restrictions we have put in place to maintain social distancing must continue and all residents are advised to strictly follow and comply in the interest of the health and lives of everybody.
43. In addition, the wearing of face mask in all public places is now compulsory throughout the State.
44. We understand the pain on our people but this is inevitable under the present situation in order for us to make the gain of freeing our State and our people from the ravaging pandemic.
45. The State’s Security Council will meet in the next 48 hours to consider and approve necessary mitigating measures for commuters, including the deployment of Government buses to shuttle designated public routes free of charge during the period of the ban on commercial transport operations.
46. Finally, community leaders and residents in Rumuokoro, Elimgbu and Rumuokurushi are hereby warned for the last time to either comply with our directives on social distancing and desist all business activities, including night markets or risk a total lockdown in these areas and the permanent closure of the Rumuokoro (Oil mill) market
47. While we agree with Mr. President’s decision to gradually re-open the country for business, we shall be guided by the peculiarities of our State on when to relax the measures we have put in place and gradually restore business activities to the State.
48.  Until then, I wish to restate that we love all residents of Rivers State. Please maintain social distancing, stay at home, wear face mask in public places and stay safe.
49. Thank you and may God bless us all.
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Rivers Assembly Approves Fubara’s 2026–2028 MTEF

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4 hours ago

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June 29, 2026

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The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

 

This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.

 

The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.

 

Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.

 

Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.

 

He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.

 

The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.

During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.

 

The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.

 

Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.

 

Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.

 

The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.

 

According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.

 

Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.

 

The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.

 

King Onunwor

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JUNE 12: Democracy Remains Nigeria’s Strongest Path To Unity, Progress, Says Fubara ….Extols Abiola, Wife

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2 weeks ago

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June 12, 2026

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Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most effective system of government for Nigeria, given the country’s rich diversity of ethnic, religious, and cultural identities.

In a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, Governor Fubara said June 12 represents far more than a historic date; as it embodies the enduring struggle, sacrifice, and collective aspiration of Nigerians for freedom, justice, and representative governance.

The Governor extended warm felicitations to Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, paying tribute to the heroes and heroines of the democratic struggle, particularly Chief MKO Abiola, his wife, Kudirat Abiola, and countless others whose courage and sacrifices helped secure the democratic freedoms Nigerians enjoy today.

According to him, “June 12 is a reminder of the price paid for the democracy we enjoy today. The sacrifices made by Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and many other patriots who laid the foundation for the democratic journey we continue to enjoy today. Their commitment to the principle that power must ultimately reside with the people remains a source of inspiration for every generation of Nigerians.”

Governor Fubara noted that thirty-three years after the historic June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria’s democratic experiment has continued to evolve despite challenges and setbacks.

“Our democratic journey has not been without difficulties, but the resilience of our institutions and the determination of our people have kept the nation moving forward. The ability to express differing opinions, engage in constructive debate, and peacefully choose leaders through the ballot remains one of the greatest achievements of our nation,” he said.

Governor Fubara stressed that democracy provides the best framework for managing Nigeria’s diversity and transforming it into a source of national strength.

“Nigeria’s diversity should never be seen as a weakness. Properly harnessed, it is our greatest asset. Democracy offers us the opportunity to build consensus, promote inclusion, strengthen national unity, and create the conditions for sustainable development and shared prosperity,” he said.

Governor Fubara commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing efforts aimed at economic revitalization, strengthening security, and deepening democratic institutions across the country.

He reiterated the readiness of Rivers State to continue partnering with the Federal Government in advancing policies and programmes that improve the lives of citizens through infrastructure development, job creation, enhanced security, quality education, healthcare delivery, and good governance.

The Governor further called on Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, ethnic background, or religious belief, to use the occasion of Democracy Day to renew their commitment to the Nigerian project and the ideals that underpin democratic governance.

“Democracy must not be viewed merely as a periodic electoral exercise. It must be reflected in our daily commitment to accountability, transparency, tolerance, justice, respect for the rule of law, and responsible leadership. As citizens and leaders, we all share a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and build a nation that future generations will be proud to inherit,” he said.

Governor Fubara expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, urging citizens to remain united, hopeful, and committed to the values of peace, dialogue, and national development.

“Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Nigeria where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national progress,” he said.

 

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Fubara Reaffirms Commitment To Peace, Development

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1 month ago

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May 29, 2026

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Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of his administration to peace, unity, security, and inclusive development as Rivers State marked its 59th anniversary, last Wednesday.

 

In a goodwill message issued on Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary, Governor Fubara stated that despite the challenges faced over the years, the people of Rivers State have continued to demonstrate resilience, strength, and an enduring spirit of unity that has sustained the state since its creation.

 

The Governor noted that the strong bond of brotherhood among the various ethnic nationalities of the state, including the Ijaw, Ikwerre, Ogoni, Etche, Ekpeye, Andoni, Kalabari, and others, remains one of Rivers State’s greatest strengths and a critical foundation for peace, stability, and progress.

 

He further observed that Rivers State has remained a major driver of Nigeria’s economy for decades, not only because of its abundant oil and gas resources, but also because of the exceptional contributions of its people across diverse sectors including academia, jurisprudence, business, entertainment, public service, and sports.

 

Governor Fubara assured the people that his administration will continue to prioritize policies and programmes that promote peace, protect lives and property, and expand development across all parts of the state. He emphasized that governance must be people centered and impactful, with equal attention given to every Local Government Area of the state.

 

The Governor also paid tribute to the elders and founding leaders of the state for preserving the spirit of unity and coexistence over the years, while urging the youths to remain hopeful, responsible, and actively committed to building a greater Rivers State through innovation, hard work, and patriotism.

 

He equally acknowledged the invaluable role of women in strengthening families, communities, and society, describing them as indispensable partners in the continued growth and stability of the state.

 

Governor Fubara called on all Rivers people to use the occasion of the anniversary as a moment of reflection and renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue, and collective progress, stressing that the unity and future of Rivers State must always rise above personal interests and political differences.

 

Rivers State was created on May 27, 1967, by General Yakubu Gowon.

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