Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has announced the arrest of 22 Staff members of oil Giant ExxonMobil.
According to the Governor who made the announcement via his Twitter handle, @GovWike, the ExxonMobil staff members came in through neighboring Akwa Ibom State.
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They were promptly arrested by security agencies for violating the executive lockdown order of the state.
In his statement, Governor Wike said the Coronavirus status of the Mobil staff was unknown. The Governor also revealed that security agents advised the entourage to return to Akwa Ibom but he insisted that the law must take its course.
He said he made the decision because nobody is above the law.
Read further excerpts from his statement:
Security agencies arrested 22 staff of Exxon Mobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals.
Even though security agencies advised that they be allowed to go back to Akwa Ibom State, I insisted that the law must take its course. This is because nobody is above the law.
As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols and they will be charged to court.
Some people want the escalation of the virus in Rivers State. People were paid to canvass a negative narrative on Carveton Pilots.
We are doing what we can within available resources to fight coronavirus. You can fly , but as you fly and land, don’t enter our territory.
We will fight this matter legally. Exxon Mobil does not operate in Rivers State . That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State.
People in Abuja are not happy. They want Rivers State to be infected. They want to kill Rivers people and I will not allow it. I was elected to protect Rivers people. Rivers State is not a pariah State.
Nigerians shake when they hear oil companies they shake because they have compromised. Imagine an appointed Minister issuing an order to an elected Governor. They wanted to rig us out and lost.
The right must be done. We are talking about something that is killing people. They want coronavirus to escalate in Rivers State. The law must be tested. Make sacrifice and let us contain the virus.
Nobody will use Rivers State as a toy. This Federal Government does not like us, but a government will come that likes Rivers State.
Recall that the state government had arrested several helicopter pilots belonging to Carveton for violating the lockdown order by flying in people into the state.
The issue has generated plenty of tension within the aviation industry.