The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirm said Governor Nyesom Wike is committed to saving the lives of people living and doing business in the State, following the various measures put in place to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease.

Nsirim who stated this while inaugurating a team of Volunteers on COVID-19 Mobile Enlightenment at the State Secretariat in Port Harcourt, said the Wike led administration will continue to intensify efforts aimed at containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in preventing community transmission in the State.

Nsirim who is also the Chairman of the Rivers State Inter-Ministerial Committee for Enlightenment on Covid-19 said since the outbreak of the disease, Governor Wike has demonstrated remarkable capacity to check the spread of the virus in the State, noting that their inauguration is a boost to the street to street enlighten campaign that Covid-19 is real.

Members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Pastor Nsirim include the State Commissioners for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Olisaelloka Tasie-Amadi, Commissioner for Youths, Prince Ohia Obi and their counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Tamuno Igbiks.

According to Nsirim, “Our Governor has shown the right leadership. In fact, there’s no State in this country where a Governor has spearheaded the fight against coronavirus like our Governor has done. He was the first to close boarders, close markets, close schools. He was the first to sign executive orders. He was the first to chair and supervise an implementation committee that was going around this State to ensure that people adhere to the protocol.

“He has committed his time, his energy and resources to ensure that this State is safe. Continually he has been saying this. His primary goal this season is to save lives, Nsirim stated,

He further said street to street prevention campaign was critical in containing the virus and urged residents of the State to adhere to all the rules and directives including social distancing and compulsory wearing of facemask to avoid further spread of the pandemic in the State.

The Commissioner urged the volunteers to see their responsibility in the same spirit as the State Governor, which, Pastor Nsirim said is to save lives, urging them to discharge their duties with utmost dedication, adding that “All of you have been carefully chosen to carry out enlightenment and sensitization for our State.”

Continuing, he said, “The task before you is enormous. As you can see every day our State is recording new cases of Coronavirus. What do we do to ensure that we contain the spread? The only alternative left for us now is to move from street to street to pass the message of prevention to our people for them to obey the relevant protocol that have been established during this period.”

Nsirim emphasized that just as the Governor’s primary goal this season is to save lives, they should see their task of awareness creation on coronavirus as their own contribution to save lives in the State. “You need to let the people know that the virus is with us and that they must practice social distancing, wearing of face mask and maintenance of personal hygiene,” the commissioner stated.

Nsirim advised that people who have the symptoms of the virus which include dry cough, high temperature, loss of taste, body weakness and difficulty in breathing should seek medical attention, saying people should not be afraid of the symptoms of the disease because it is not a death sentence.