The Rivers State Government, yesterday, released the 22 staff of United States oil and gas giant, ExxonMobil, who were arrested for violating the Executive Order restricting movement in the state.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Prof Zaccheus Adangor, explained that the ExxonMobil staff were released without charges.
Adangor said that the state government would no longer press charges against them, stressing that they were released following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians.
The Attorney-General of Rivers State confirmed that he monitored the release of the 22 ExxonMobil staff at the State Isolation Centre at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt.
He noted that the Rivers State Government remains committed to implementing the Executive Order issued to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the state.
It would be recalled that security agencies arrested 22 staff of ExxonMobil who entered the state from Akwa Ibom in violation of the Executive Order signed by the governor.
The order stipulates that health authorities ascertain the Coronavirus status of those entering the state.
Earlier, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had announced that security agencies arrested 22 staff of ExxonMobil who entered the state from Akwa Ibom in violation of the state Executive Order.
Wike also announced that the management of Caverton Helicopters has apologised to the state government over the conduct that led to the arrest of their pilots and passengers who violated the restriction orders of the state.
Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt, last Friday, Wike stated that the ExxonMobil matter would be a test case in legal jurisprudence in the country.
Wike said: “Security agencies arrested 22 staff of ExxonMobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the Coronavirus status of these individuals.
“Even though security agencies advised that they be allowed to go back to Akwa Ibom State, I insisted that the law must take its course. This is because nobody is above the law.
“As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols, and they will be charged to court.”
The Rivers State governor regretted that the federal authorities were working dangerously to compromise the health protection system of Rivers State, and thereby make them vulnerable to Coronavirus.
He said: “Some people want the escalation of the virus in Rivers State. People were paid to canvass a negative narrative on Caverton pilots.
“We are doing what we can within available resources to fight Coronavirus. You can fly, but as you fly and land, don’t enter our territory.
“We will fight this matter legally. ExxonMobil does not operate in Rivers State. That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State.
“People in Abuja are not happy. They want Rivers State to be infected. They want to kill Rivers people and I will not allow it. I was elected to protect Rivers people. Rivers State is not a pariah state.
“Nigerians shake when they hear oil companies they shake because they have compromised. Imagine an appointed minister issuing an order to an elected governor. They wanted to rig us out and lost. Recall that the former DG of DSS ordered his men to leave the INEC Collation Centre for the invasion of the centre. They lost.
“The right must be done. We are talking about something that is killing people. They want Coronavirus to escalate in Rivers State. The law must be tested. Make sacrifice and let us contain the virus.”
Wike said that Rivers State cannot be manipulated from any quarters.
“Nobody will use Rivers State as a toy. This Federal Government does not like us, but a government will come that likes Rivers State.
Wike stated that the state government followed due process in its actions against Caverton Helicopters, and noted that state government was focused on implementing extant laws aimed at protecting Rivers people.
He said: “On 7th April, 2020, two pilots of Caverton Helicopters flew in and landed at the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt with 10 passengers on board their Twin-Otter Helicopter without any prior notice or approval from the state government, and in clear breach of the extant Covid-19 Regulations and Executive Order. The pilots and 10 passengers were promptly arrested by security personnel and arraigned before the Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court in two separate charges”.
Wike noted that his administration established the right legal framework to assist it effectively fight against the spread of Coronavirus, stressing that the second case in Rivers State has been discharged.
He thanked God for His blessing to the state, insisting that the law will take its course.
The governor said: “People selling Akara are being charged to court in Lagos. But they want us to allow oil companies to flout the law. I am a boy to Rivers people, not to anybody outside Rivers State.
“You have been fighting Rivers State since 2015. They challenged me in 2015, I defeated them. In 2019, I defeated them. There is no third term.”
The governor praised the management of the NLNG for cooperating with the state authorities to fight the spread of Coronavirus.
“I must commend the management of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) for obeying the established health protocol to check the spread of Coronavirus. They have consistently liaised with the state government in the movement of their staff on essential duties. This is what is expected of a responsible corporate organization,” he said.
The governor expressed gratitude to individuals and corporate organizations that have strengthened the state’s capacity to fight Coronavirus.
He said: “Our pragmatic leadership style has therefore earned our state individual and corporate support that have strengthened our prevention strategies.”
Wike noted that his administration has developed a comprehensive palliatives scheme to support less privileged Rivers people survive the sit-at-home directive of his administration.
He said: “I directed the palliatives committee to ensure that their activities must not be partisan, religious or ethnic based.
“Let me state here that following my directive, the committee adopted a community based approach in the discharge of its assignment.
The distribution of the foodstuffs is supervised at the ward level by a five-man committee made up of a clergy man, traditional ruler, Community Development Committee chairman, woman leader and youth leader.
“So far, the palliatives committee has distributed foodstuffs to Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ikwerre, and Eleme local government areas. The committee has also distributed foodstuffs to special homes in Port Harcourt.”
The governor, however, announced the suspension of the ongoing distribution of palliatives due to complaints by some members of the public, stressing, “In order to make the exercise more inclusive, members of the civil society and the media”.
Wike stated that the state government established the Foodstuffs Purchasing Committee with a directive to buy foodstuffs and fish from Rivers farmers, adding that the committee has procured foodstuffs and set up food banks in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
“To ensure that nobody complains of hunger during this period, the Foodstuffs Purchasing Committee has set up food banks across the 23 local government areas of the state. These food banks are to be supervised by agricultural desks in each local government area.
“So far, the committee has purchased a large quantity of garri, yam, rice, palm oil and fish from local farmers and fishermen. The overall objective is to empower our farmers and fishermen while also providing enough foodstuffs for the less privileged in the state.”
He said that it was imperative that all companies or organizations doing full or partial business in the state support efforts at containing Coronavirus.
“Failure to support us shows total disregard for corporate social responsibility. I want to sincerely thank all individual and corporate donors who have supported us in the fight against Covid-19. At the appropriate time, the Rivers State Government will publish their names in national dailies and local tabloids for posterity. These individuals and corporate organizations are indeed friends of the state,” he said.
Wike said his administration chose to be proactive because it places premium on the lives of Rivers people, and pointed out that Rivers State was the first state to close her borders to check the spread of Coronavirus.
He noted that this step was greeted by criticisms at the time, but several states have emulated this pragmatic approach.
“We were the first state in the federation to close our borders. This attracted criticisms, but we have been vindicated as other states emulated this positive strategy.
”Even though we have recorded two cases, the index case has been discharged while the second case is doing well at the treatment centre. It is obvious that our containment strategies: closure of borders, closure of schools, closure of markets, closure of night clubs, closure of cinemas, as well as the ban of public worship, ban of public burials and weddings have helped to check the spread of Coronavirus.
“This is in addition to the conduct of our healthcare professionals who have demonstrated a high level of patriotism and sacrifice in contact tracing and case management,” he said.
The Rivers State governor warned those plotting to disrupt the distribution of palliatives will be sanctioned, and pointed out that some persons only criticise for the sake of political mileage and not to add value.
The governor said that nobody can threaten Rivers State with strike, warning that the state was ready to tackle anyone trying to compromise the health of the state.