COVID -19: Wike sets up preventive committee Rivers residents unperturbed

Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has set up a committee to create awareness on the prevention of coronavirus pandemic in the state.

It was observed that though most people especially those living in Port Harcourt, the capital city, are aware of the pandemic, they were still ignorant of its symptoms and methods of spread.

Investigations, however, showed that people on the streets were going about their normal activities without fear of the pandemic.

Residents were still found in groups and crowds, observing normal handshakes and boarding crowded commercial vehicles without being suspicious of others.

But a young lady in a commercial vehicle was seen trying very hard to distance herself from a sweating young man, who sat beside her.

Speaking after the state Executive Council meeting, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paulinus Nsirim said Wike approved a five-member committee to prevent the pandemic.

He said: “The State Executive Council reviewed the global pandemic and set up a five-member committee to carry out an aggressive awareness campaign on the prevention of coronavirus”.

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Nsirim said he was appointed to chair the committee that has the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Chike Princewill as a member.

Other members of the committee are Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Igbiks Tamuno; Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Olisa Tasie-Amadi and the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Ohia Prince.

“This committee is to ensure that citizens of the State in the 23 Local Government areas get adequate information that will stop them from contracting the virus. ”

“We also use this opportunity to inform members of the public that they need to practice elementary hygiene. They should use hand sanitizers to prevent contracting the virus .”