Tony John, Port Harcourt
A member of House of Representatives, Dumnamene Dekor, has given kudos to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for the arrest of two pilots Caverton Helicopters, for flouting an Executive Order.
Dekor, who represents Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency, insisted the Governor Wike was right in his action, saying that it was taken in the interest of the people of Rivers and Nigerians in general.
The lawmaker stated this in Port Harcourt, noting that the world is currently in an unusual period with the plague of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s action against Caverton air pilots who violated an Executive Order of the Rivers State government was right and taken in the best interest of Rivers people and all Nigerian citizens living in the state.
“This is an unusual time in our generational history when the entire humanity is at the brink of extinction occasioned by a mysterious disease that has claimed thousands of lives globally without any cure yet,” he said.
According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic requires unusual decisions to be taken to stop its spread and save lives.
“The best one can do at a time like this is to take unusual actions too, aimed at saving as many lives as possible. Hence, the true grandeur of humanity is said to be moral elevation, sustained, enlightened and decorated by the intellect of man.
“It is, therefore, morally wrong for anybody, let alone the highly respected person of the Aviation Minister to fault and or apportion blame to the Rivers State government for prosecuting the two pilots of Caverton air transport company, who flew into the State in contravention of the order restricting uncoordinated movements in and out of the state.”
He said it was not in contention that the Federal Government has the power to legislate on aviation matters, but that did not mean it should be done to the detriment of the lives of millions of people living in the state.
The lawmaker argued: “The case would have been different if the state was informed about the flight into the state and of the ‘national interest,’ and asked to deploy its officials to screen the people on arrival to know their health status.
“It also suffices to note that the Aviation Minister is not on trial before any court. It is a private air transport company and its pilots that violated the order of the state and since the case is before a court of law, if the pilots had a permit that excused them for violation the court will decide,” Dekor stated.
