To further ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus Pandemic across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, the State govt has beamed its searchlight inwards, with a view to fishing all manner of vagabonds including beggars, destitutes, mad persons etc who may be potential Coronavirus carriers.
Subsequently, the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare on Tuesday profiled and evacuated 150 vagrants to Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom State, States in the North, Niger Republic and some local government areas of the state.
Rivers State Commissioner for Social Welfare, Mrs. Inime Aguma led other officials of the Ministry to profile all the vagrants before they were evacuated to their states and Local Government Areas of origin.
Mrs Inime Aguma said that the evacuation exercise is non-discriminatory programme aimed at protecting Rivers people.
She said that the exercise was not targeted at any ethnic group, but aimed at removing vagrants who may circulate coronavirus from the streets.
The Social Welfare Commissioner noted that the right arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the vagrants are transported to their respective locations in dignity.
On Monday during a state broadcast, Governor Wike directed the State Commissioner for Social Welfare to round up and deport all vagrants to their state of origin.
He said: “We have also directed the Commissioner of Social Welfare to round-up and deport all vagrants, including the almajiris, to their States of origin to protect our people from the threat they present to the transmission of this pandemic.
