The Rivers State chapter of the Independent Professional Printers and Publishers Association (IPPPA) has praised Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for the efforts being put in place to stem the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic in the State.
The body in a statement captioned ‘Covid-19, Palliatives and Rivers Citizens’, signed jointly by Chairman, Alphonsus Nkanang; Secretary, Emmanuel Ojukwu and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Anthony Amadi respectively at the weekend, said the governor deserved all the accolades being poured on him from different quarters following the pragmatic steps so far taken to prevent the spread of the ravaging virus into the State.
“Your Excellency, it is our observation that you blazed the trail on territorial lockdown, as a result of which Rivers State was spared the early spread of the disease”, the group said, while urging the governor to keep up the tempo.
On the lockdown in some parts of Port Harcourt, IPPPA advised the masses to adhere to government directives in order not to attract stern measures in response to perceived disobedience.
The body however expressed the view that a regulated authorization of essential activities, especially on those that better address the humanitarian and welfare needs of the people, would be far less harmful than a total lockdown.
“Further to this, we call on His Excellency to consider the interest of some vital sectors in the state such as the printing sector, which is not represented in the palliatives committee but whose means of livelihood has been grossly affected by the ban on several social and official activities.
“As a responsible association, we assure the government and people of Rivers State of our continuous support in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. We take the responsibility to sensitize our members and, by extension, the general public on the preventive measures available from government, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)”, the body affirmed.
On the palliatives given by the state government, the body thanked the Governor and his team for the laudable efforts in putting the measure in place, but urged equitable distributions, coordination and monitoring to make sure that the items reached the target audience.
