By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Governor Nyesom Wike has received a 500 KVA transformer from Danelec Limited, a truck-load of bottled water and soft drinks from Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC), face masks and safety aprons from Showers Limited and liquid soap from Praymerc Nigeria Limited, to boost his fight against covid 19.
The items were received for the Rivers State Government by the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Princewill Chike, officially from the chairman of MAN, Rivers/Bayelsa chapter, Senator Adawari Pepple, on Friday at the State Secretariat, Port Harcourt.
In his brief speech while making the presentation, Sen. Pepple said the deadly corona virus was affecting the whole world and that Rivers State and Nigeria were not spared.
While commending the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for the effective steps he has taken so far to prevent the spread of the ravaging virus, the MAN Rivers/Bayelsa chairman said his association decided to support the state government in the fight against covid-19 by donating the items.
“We have decided to throw our weight behind the Rivers State Government. We are aware that the state has a testing and treatment centre. The 500 KVA transformer was donated by Danelec Ltd for uninterrupted light at the centre, hand washing liquid was donated by Praymerc Nigeria Limited, bottled water and soft drinks was donated by NBC (Nigeria Bottling Company), while Showers Ltd donated face masks and safety aprons, all for the isolation centre.
“MAN and her members are solidly behind you in this fight against corona virus also known as covis-19,” Sen. Adawari Pepple said.
Responding, the Rivers State Commissioner for health, Prof. Princewill Chike, thanked MAN and her members for the good gesture and expressed delight that the state’s fight against covid-19, championed by the Governor Nyesom Wike administration was yielding positive result.
Prof. Chike added: “The issue of covid-19 pandemic is obvious to everybody. We must commend His Excellency our Executive Governor, Chief Barr Nyesom Wike, for the proactive war he’s waging against the disease.
“Rivers State has recorded just two cases since it started. The first case was a 19-year old lady. She was treated and discharged. The second case was a 62-year old man. As at last night he tested negative and was discharged this morning.
“For now we have no case of covid-19 in Rivers State but we are still at alert. So our 30-bed capacity treatment centre is empty now. All facilities are still intact there.”
The Rivers State health commissioner further explained that testing was still ongoing both at the international and domestic fronts, adding that the last two cases were those tested at the international fronts.
He promised that his ministry would make good use of the items donated by MAN and advised people to stay in their houses until the covid-19 menace is over.