This morning, a colleague sent a link of the backpage commentary by one Idowu Akinlotan in Sunday Nation of April 19, 2020 wherein he rained invective on the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for defending the interest of Rivers State in relation to the fight against coronavirus.
Like I have said in the past, we are not averse to criticism, but it must be done with decorous language, premised on respect for all parts of the country and their right to self protection.
Newspapers are platforms for people to canvass their standpoint, but it must never be allowed to degenerate to a springboard for unchecked insults and name-calling.
Writing under the title: “Gov Wike takes hysteria to bewildering level” , Exxon Mobil’s attack dog barked out irresponsible propaganda to justify his pay. To him and his sponsors, the Rivers State Government should stand and watch their state ravaged by careless movements by so-called oil workers.
What is hysteria? According to the online dictionary, hysteria means: “exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, loss of control , loss of reason” etc.This is what the editorial team of Sunday Nation placed on their backpage. The only justification for this gutter yellow journalism is because Governor Wike is involved. Otherwise, which Newspaper will allow its backpage belittled in order to score cheap political points.
We are discussing a matter of life and death and some folks think it starts and ends with serving the economic needs of their paymasters.
If Rivers State is infected uncontrollably, over 6million Nigerians will be risk. The so-called oil platforms will not be immune from such total collapse of the state’s health security system.
All through the paid backpage commentary in Sunday Nation, they attempted to deride the efforts of Governor Wike. To pour scorn and promote the idea that they can misbehave within the Rivers Territory while observing the right health protocols in Lagos and Abuja.
There are two major incidents, Carveton Helicopters and Exxon Mobil. In the two cases, the Rivers State Government acted within the extant laws and in defence of the lives of Rivers people. Nobody has proved otherwise. Outside throwing around motor-park insults, they say practically nothing about the substance of the matter.
As they defended infractions in Rivers State, these paid columnists fail to look at the extent laws in relation to the safety of all States of the Federation. They prefer to close their eyes to the fact that the infractions are deliberate.
Following the interventions and pleas by well-meaning Nigerians, the Rivers State Government released the 22 Staff of Exxon Mobil who violated the Executive Order restricting movement to and from Rivers State. In their press statement acknowledging their release, PENGASSAN admitted inadvertently that the extant laws were flouted. This is because they clearly demanded the adjustment of the National Health Protocols to suit them and their activities. Nobody seeks the amendment of a law, if it is what he/she wants.
The Press Statement of 19TH April, 2020 by PENGASSAN on Paragraph 6 implied without equivocation that Governor Wike and the Rivers State Government acted in the interest of Rivers people and within the ambit of the law. This is paragraph 6 of that press statement:
“6. We also call on the Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to immediately adjust its COVID-19 testing protocol to include all offshore-going workers. This will prevent possible incidence of COVD-19 on oil installations with its grave consequences and eliminate need for 14-day self-isolation before travelling offshore with its attendant huge cost implications on organizations and psychological effect on workers.”
The Almighty PENGASSAN officials want the new regulations to discard isolation and quarantine in relation to oil workers. Still in the same paragraph, they want the oil facilities to be protected from COVID-19. Once the basic ingredient of the Protocol is adjusted, it endangers the oil facilities. There are no two ways.
But, this paragraph indicates that the 22 Exxon Mobil Staff knew the requirements of the extant law and only moved for a yet to be ascertained reason.
Idowu Akinlotan uses the backpage of Sunday Nation to descend into the arena without considering all sides of the story, aside his struggle to justify the money given to him. Even the groups they set out to defend have agreed that they were wrong and are now asking that the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC bend the rule on their behalf and put the rest of the country at risk.
It is disheartening that the propaganda merchants have hijacked key newspaper pages to throw unjustified lies in the name of criticisms. They deliberately set out to create two worlds. One in Lagos where the State Government is right to arrest and prosecute offenders and the second in Rivers State where many Newspapers take up machetes to hound the Rivers State Government for implementing an extant law. They cite no other reason, aside the fact that they derive financial benefits by insulting Governor Wike for upholding the law.
The fight to check the spread of coronavirus is a matter of life and death. The rules should be implemented for the good of everyone. If rules are implemented on the basis of professional status, in the long run, coronavirus will escalate.
The other day, they were paid to defend erring pilots and today, they have collected gratification to defend oil workers. Now the oil workers are saying that the laws should be amended to place them above the extant regulations. If they are above extant regulations, can they be immune from contracting or spreading coronavirus because they are members of PENGASSAN?
The reality of the successes recorded by the proactive measures initiated and executed by Governor Wike have been acknowledged and applauded by Rivers people and other objective minds.
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) ,Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu captures the outstanding leadership role of Governor Wike in the fight against coronavirus. He spoke on Sunday during a meeting with officials of Rivers State Government.
He said: “This is a working visit. I want to thank you for your firm, strong, committed and personally led response to COVID-19 in Rivers State. Rivers is one of the most important gate-ways into the country. One of the most important economies in the country . So, Rivers is important , not only to you but to the entire country. We are happy with the way you managed you first two cases
“We thank you very much for your leadership and we need your leadership to continue in order for us to continue doing our work nationally.
“I want to really congratulate you on how the two cases in Rivers State have been managed. I understand the second case was discharged yesterday . Excellent work is being done in Rivers and really an example for the rest of the country.”
The testimony of the Director General of the NCDC says it all. The sponsored attack-dogs only consider the monetary benefits and disregard the sanctity of human lives. What a shame.
