Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike said on Friday that the state government will prosecute 22 staff of ExxonMobil arrested by the state taskforce on COVID-19.
Governor
Wike who spoke to reporters at Government House , Port Harcourt said
that the ExxonMobil staff were coming into the state from Akwa Ibom on
Thursday when they were intercepted and arrested by the taskforce.
He
said that the arrested staff of the company were arrested by the
taskforce for contravening the State Executive Order on inter-state
restriction of movement.
He said the COVID-19
status of the staff of ExxonMobil who came into the state were not know
saying that their action is tantamount to endangering the lives of
residents of the state.
“ExxonMobil
brought 22 people to the state and we don’t know their statues. The
management of the company did not tell us that they are bringing people
to the state. I will not allow anybody or corporate organization to
endanger the lives of our people,” he said.
The 22 arrested staff of ExxonMobil were taken to the state isolation centre where they are being held.
Efforts
made to speak with the management of the company on the matter proves
abortive as our reporter was referred to the company’s office in Lagos.
Meanwhile
governor Nyesom Wike said that the last COVID-19 patient in the state
, a 62 old man who visited the state after his return from UK was
discharged Friday morning.
Governor Wike said
that the test conducted on the patient proves negative saying that
discharged patient has brought to two the number of index cases treated
and discharged from the state
“We have not
given up in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. We had a lady who was
brought into the state positive she was treated and discharged . The
second case we had tested positive he was treated and he tested
negative . He was discharged Friday morning.