Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Promise Gogorobari, owner or Prodest Home, Alode, one of the hotels demolished in Eleme Local Government Area of the state by Rivers State government, were yesterday, engaged in war of words. While the owner of the hotel said they were not in breach of Covid-19 Executive Orders and that Wike had by his action plunged 60 breadwinners engaged in the hotel into the labour market, Wike insisted that that his administration did no wrong by pulling down the hotels, including Etemeteh Hotel, Onne, as the owners violated the order of the state government to check the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Meanwhile, former Nigeria Bar Association, NBA President, OCJ Okocha, SAN, has differed with Femi Falana, SAN, on the role of the governor in the saga, just as civil society organisations kicked over the incident. Meanwhile, community sources, blamed Prodest Home manager for violating the state government order, alleging that the hotel was open for business while the order was in place. Gogorobari, said that the destruction of his hotel was, “Already affecting us. We have more than 60 staff there.
The state government should be happy I took up some responsibilities from them in gainfully engaging these persons. That investment was taking care of my family and relatives and others around me. “There was no fair hearing. I did not violate any order. The government was supposed to do some investigations. If they found me wanting, a lockdown other procedures should have been applied, not demolishing a structure like that. “I don’t stay in Port Harcourt, I stay in Lagos and we are taking about investments in Rivers day and night.
I pulled resources together, invested in my place to take some persons off the streets. And what the state government could do was to demolish that investment without proper investigation.”
Wike on his part in his Sunday broadcast, following the demolition, justified his action against both hotels and placement of N5million bounty on Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Youth Leader in the area, Princewill Osaroejiji.
