- Three oil companies to establish COVID-19 treatment centre
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has confirmed the health crisis in Bonny Local Government Area saying the oil-rich island was becoming the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wike, however, expressed delight at the decision of three oil multinationals to collaborate in establishing a COVID-19 treatment centre in the council.
The governor in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, named the companies as the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Exonn Mobil Producing Unlimited Company.
Wike spoke during a meeting with the oil majors at the Government House, Port Harcourt, where the stakeholders took to upgrade and equip the Bonny General Hospital as a COVID-19 treatment centre. The governor said he called the meeting to address the situation in Bonny noting that some tests conducted on residents and briefs he received from the state Ministry of Health “paints the picture of the area becoming an epicentre of the pandemic”.
The governor reiterated that the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases were oil workers insisting that they accounted for 60 per cent of the victims.
He said the situation vindicated his earlier position on the need for oil companies to cooperate with the state government to fully implement the COVID-19 preventive protocol.
He said: “Nobody is against anybody carrying out oil exploration activities. All I have always argued is that if you are bringing people from outside the state which is like an interstate movement, there is need for us to know so that we are able also to take precaution and make sure that they follow the protocol put in place by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC).
“Nobody will want to stop oil exploration because that is the mainstay of the economy of this country. But people have to be alive before you can use the revenue. If you make the money from the oil sector and human beings are not there what will be the essence of making the whole money. Money is to be used to advance economic life but man’s well-being is more important.
“So we felt that there is need for us to work together so that we will be able to reduce this pandemic in the state.
The governor also urged the oil companies to provide basic hygiene items like hand sanitisers and water at strategic places in Bonny communities.
He promised to engage the traditional institution and community development committees in Bonny to enlighten their people on the reality of the pandemic.
Wike said the government might consider a possible lockdown of Bonny after due consultation with the Amanyanabo of Bonny.
On the Bonny-Bodo road project, he decried the lack of interest shown by the Federal Government in releasing its counterpart funding for the project despite the NLNG fulfilling their part of the agreement.
He said such treatment of issues concerning the Niger Delta that sustains the country financially was unacceptable.
The Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Ltd, Tony Attah appreciated the bold measures taken by the governor in dealing with the pandemic and pledged the company’s continued support.
The Deputy Managing Director of SPDC, Simon Roddy, pledged that his company would support all measures taken by the government to keep the state safe.
In his own remarks, the Executive Director of Exonn Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Udobong Ntia also said they were fully ready to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.