Simeon Nwakaudu
I have watched very closely Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s fight against coronavirus on behalf of Rivers State. It has been firm, decisive and basically in the interest of Rivers people.
This is a war against an invisible enemy. A deadly enemy that is claiming lives every day. However, despite the danger that is staring everybody in the face, some people have chosen to play politics with every step the Rivers State governor takes to safeguard the state. Some virulently flay the governor and call him names. Interestingly, some of these critics, days after their flak, would replicate the same action taken by Governor Wike.
Several Nigerians have openly called for firmness in the handling of issues concerning the pandemic. But the question is, how do you firmly handle the matter without ensuring that laws are implemented, no matter whose ox is gored? Wike has not gone outside the law in all he has done either as concerns the pandemic or other matters.
Flouting executive order and attack on task force
Last Monday, Wike demolished two hotels that deliberately flouted the executive order closing down all hotels across the state. At Prudest Hotel, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth leader and a gang of thugs attacked and inflicted injuries on task force members who were at the facility to stop it from operating.
The task force members who sustained injuries are lying critically ill at the hospital. Shockingly, some people expect the leadership of the state to look the other way because the youth leader is a member of the PDP.
The aim of closing all hotels across Rivers State is to ensure that those being allowed by the security agencies to illegally enter Rivers State have nowhere to stay. These two hotels, for whatever reason, flouted the order. They did so violently.
If the Rivers State governor had swept this matter under the carpet, what would be his moral standing, if members of other political parties flout the law? It is unfortunate that we are in an era where people write and then think later. The penchant to lean towards sentiment in the face of serious challenges has always been the bane of our dear country. This plays out more prominently in every election.
Most people flaying Governor Wike’s action are merely playing to the gallery. They are the same people who will accuse the governor of doing nothing to secure his people, if he decides to pander to sentiments.
All stakeholders were involved
The strategy to check the spread of coronavirus involves all stakeholders in Rivers State. The main goal is to prevent the spread of the pandemic. Inaugurating the Rivers State COVID-19 Local Government Task Force at Government House, Port Harcourt, on May 7, 2020, Wike charged them to identify erring hotels and beer parlours.
He said: “From tomorrow, move in. Any hotel that is operating, identify it and we will bring down the hotels. I have the political will. Those people who disobey will face the consequences.”
Governor Wike said that the task force must be decisive to ensure that coronavirus is not accommodated in Rivers State. The governor said that the task force must take it that they are being drafted to fight an invisible opponent and their duty is to defend the state.
For days, Governor Wike made enormous efforts to create awareness on the Executive Order and the consequences of flouting it. Yet, a member of the PDP would flout the order and go ahead to injure operatives of the task force that came to enforce a law.
Demolitions by other states
On April 23, 2020, it was widely reported that the Lagos State government demolished over 40 residential buildings in the Ogba area of Lagos State amid the coronavirus lockdown.
These demolitions attracted no media attention. And one would say that it was so because it happened in Legos. Those affected cried out, but there was no meaningful response from the civil society.
Similarly, on March 7, 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic raged, authorities of the Federal Capital Territory demolished structures and mechanic workshops at the premises in Kado Estate, in Abuja. A few whispers were made here and there, but there was no serious protest.
Before that, in May 2019, the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA), through its Department of Development Control, demolished the Caramelo Lounge, a popular strip club, for allegedly contravening the FCT land use regulations. The FCT regulations were respected by both the residents of the FCT and other Nigerians.
In January 2017, Jigawa State government demolished places of worship affected in a general demolition of buildings. The Jigawa State government said the demolition of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Lord’s Chosen Church in Dutse were carried out because the buildings were not approved by the state government. People did not cry blue murder
Early in the year, precisely, in January 2020, the Kwara State government demolished the late Olusola Saraki’s house in Ilorin. Even the immediate past Senate President could not stop the demolition.
Premium Times wrote that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the state governor, announced the decision to revoke the late Olusola Saraki’s property owing to alleged illegality in its acquisition. Till date the Saraki family has lost that property.
In Kaduna, according to a newspaper report, the state government, in May 2020, during the lockdown, demolished a popular beer joint located opposite Command Secondary School in Kaduna South Local Government. No noise was made over it.
In November 2019, the Kaduna State government, through KASUPA, demolished about 300 houses in different communities.
According to TheCable, the affected communities were Baban Saura, Anguwan Waziri, Karji, Tsohon Kamanz and Angwan Maigyero, all located along Yakowa Road, Kaduna.
Right in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the need arose for Delta State government to demolish Abraka Market. It demolished the market.
The governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, threatened to deal ruthlessly with anyone caught doing business at the demolished marlet.
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, the Edo State government demolished part of a hotel owned by one of Adams Oshiomhole’s loyalists, Tony Adun, popularly known as Tony Kabaka. Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, said no amount of blackmail would stop the state government from demolishing the hotel because it was built on government land.
In the case of Eleme Hotels demolition, it was backed by an extant law and also supported by stakeholder engagement.
It is baffling that civil society and social media advocacy in Nigeria have lost the basic rules of decency and mutual respect. You talk without weighing all sides of the information.
Imagine APC’s online medium, using the title: “Our governor has gone mad again,” simply because he enforced a law. But one of the links in this piece was drawn from the APC’s medium. They publish and quickly forget.
Governor Wike has explained the background that led to the demolition. He did this in a statewide broadcast.
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 led 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.
“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.”
Ajuri Ngelale, a native of Eleme, who thrives in leaking presidential addresses, decided to talk trash without knowing the facts.
He went ahead to insult Governor Wike about lockdown in Abuja and Lagos State. This is the worst form of miscalculation. If the lockdown in Lagos succeeded, why the consideration for further lockdown? Why has Ogun State gone on additional lockdown and why is the PTF considering yet another lockdown?
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