By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
The current rise in high profile Corona virus cases in Rivers State is causing palpable fear among government officials in the state.
The rate at which government officials are falling prey to the deadly pandemic has increased in recent times, with some of them dying in sudden and mysterious ways that left many people suspecting that they may have died of Covid19.
Former Special Assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, former chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area, Odiari Princewill, former commissioner for power, as well as some ministry officials, are among the high profile Covid19 cases recorded in the state in recent times.
TPCN gathered that many members of the the Rivers State Executive Council are now having sleepless nights because of the high profile deaths being recorded in the state despite the lockdowns, closure of public places/borders and other precautionary measures being taken by the Wike administration to check the spread of the virus.
A government house source told our correspondent, Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi, that Governor Wike and some key members of his cabinet are very worried over the rising Covid-19 cases and are seriously thinking of how to stem the tide.
The source added: “As I’m talking to you now, they no longer sleep with their two eyes closed because of the fear of Covid19. It’s like the shock of Princewill’s death, Nwakaudu’s death and commissioner for power’s death was too much for them. Now, they’re desperately thinking of what to do.”
Meanwhile, information reaching TPCN reveals that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is under intense pressure to relinquish his position as chairman of the state taskforce on Covid-19 and allow his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, to handle the job.
According to sources, the pressure is coming from concerned citizens of Rivers State, including two former governors, some federal lawmakers and a close confidant of the governor that was once at the top echelon of the nation’s green Chambers.
One of the sources said: “These people feel that Governor Wike has not handled the fight against covid-19 well because he doesn’t have the expertise to do so since he’s not a medical doctor. They are now telling him to appoint his deputy who is a public health expert, as chairman of the state Covid19 taskforce. In fact they’re blaming him for mismanaging the Covid19 fight, given the increasing rate of infections and the high profile death s recorded so far.”
On whether Governor Wike will succumb to the pressure and bring his deputy to handle the Covid19 fight, the source said: “Why not? He has no choice than to allow the right person to do the job. Has he not played enough politics with it? If he falls to bow to superior argument , he’s also putting himself at risk because even governors are not immune to the virus.”
