By Dipo Olowookere
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has directed all local government council Chairmen in the state to shut down offices of Caverton Helicopters in their areas for “endangering the lives of Rivers people by its suspicious operations.”
The Governor, in a state broadcast on Wednesday, said the company has been declared persona non grata in Rivers State.
On Tuesday, two pilots of the company were arraigned in Port Harcourt for flying to the state after a lockdown of the Niger Delta state. They were remanded in prison till May 19, 2020, when their trial is billed to commence.
Caverton, in a statement last night, stated that its detained employees were unduly punished by the state government because they were authorised to fly to Rivers State.
On Wednesday afternoon, Minister of Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, fumed at Mr Wike’s action, saying it was an act of “ignorance.”
But in a broadcast this evening, Governor Wike said, “We appreciate the need to protect business interests and operations in the state and we will do whatever that is required to ensure that no business is unduly affected by the measures we have taken to combat the Coronavirus.
“However, we shall not welcome businesses or companies that value their business activities or profit more than or in clear disregard of the lives and health of our people.
“By its actions Caverton Helicopters has clearly shown that Rivers lives do not matter to it. It is an enemy of Rivers people and is hereby declared persona non grata in Rivers State.
“With this declaration, Caverton Helicopters can only choose to operate in any part of Rivers State at its own risk as local government Chairmen have been directed to close their offices and prevent their operations.”
Mr Wike said that the “highly insensitive and provocative actions of Caverton Helicopters took place in the midst of credible intelligence reports about plans by enemies of the state to traffic carriers of the dreaded Coronavirus into the state.”
According to him, “Their morbid intention is to create panic by pushing up the infection rate and rubbish the robust measures we have since put in place to cut off the spread of the virus and keep our state and our citizens safe and secure from the ravaging pandemic.
“As expected, and required by our laws, the crew and the passengers on board that ill-fated helicopter were promptly arrested by the law enforcement personnel and are being prosecuted before our courts in line with our COVID 19 Declarations and Containment Orders.
“Caverton Helicopters claimed to have gotten permits from some federal agencies to fly passengers into the state, which never bordered to take the state government into consideration in issuing such permits in violation of our laws and containment orders.
“While federal agencies reserve the right to issue flight permits to airline operators to fly into Rivers State, we insist that the state government must equally be informed and taken into consideration in the process.
“This the only way to avoid suspicion, conflicts of interests and unnecessary bickering between the state and federal governments in our collective efforts to combat the spread of COVID 19 in the country.”
“Let me reiterate that for us, COVID 19 in Rivers State is a matter of life and death and we will never succumb to any blackmail from any person, institution or authority in our determination to protect our citizens and our state from the spread of this deadly virus.
“Since we triggered the law on Caverton Helicopters, we have seen and read all sorts of hilarious and frivolous comments, particularly on social media, questioning the propriety of our actions against the carrier and its passengers.
“At this time and under the present situation, nothing, I repeat, nothing, is more important to us than to safeguard the lives and wellbeing of our citizens no matter the cost, and we shall spare no efforts to achieve this singular most fundamental objective of our government,” Mr Wike said.
