Labour Party (LP) in Rivers on Tuesday faulted the appointment of the elected Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Desmond Akawor, as the Chairman of the state’s committee on the Coronavirus palliative measures.
Mr Prince Rueben, the Rivers State Chairman of the Labour Party, faulted Akawor’s appointment at a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Gov. Nyesom Wike recently inaugurated a palliative committee headed by Akawor with N2 billion set aside to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
But Rueben said that the fight against COVID-19 in the state should not be politicised by the government, saying that the chairman and his committee members belonged to the PDP.
“This committee should comprise of stakeholders from other parties, the security agencies, the media, among others to ensure transparency in the distribution of the palliative measures to Rivers people.
“Regrettably, the state has no data base or statistics of Rivers people to benefit from the relief or palliative programme.
“We condemn the continued harassment, abuse and intimidation of our rural men and women in various local government areas by local government chairmen and their tas force, creating unnecessary panic and fear among the people in a bid to please the governor.
”We also condemn the closed inter-state borders being converted to a tollgate creating undue hardship to our rural dwellers, ” he said.
According to him, Gov. Wike should apply civil approach as the fight against the spread of COVID-19, is a fight for all and together the state will win.
“We also appeal to state government to deploy health workers to the state borders to check and test people entering the state and allow free movement of agricultural produce and other essential commodities into the state.
Similarly, Mr Isaac Wonwo, a former Governorship Candidate of the Party, called on the Federal Government to approve grants to support Rivers in its effort in curbing the pandemic.
Wonwo, however, urged the people of the state to comply with the state government’s directives in the fight against the spread of the virus in the state. (NAN)