By Bukola Kayode
Two hotels have been demolished in Rivers State for flouting the lockdown order
Their demolition comes hours after Governor Nyesom Wike ordered the demolition of both facilities.
Rivers State Commissioner for information and communications, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim said in a statement on Sunday, that Prudent Hotel, Alode, Eleme and Etemeteh Hotel, Onne would be demolished for violating the state government’s lockdown order.
Recall that Gov. Wike had declared a total lockdown in parts of the state, along with a closure of hotels, as part of measures to protect the state from COVID-19.
The Cable reports that the governor personally supervised the demolition of both hotels.
Governor Wike during a supervision of the lockdown enforcement
The demolition of the hotels has received mixed reactions on social media.
Veteran journalist and lawyer, Mr. Richard Akinnola described the demolition of the hotels as arbitrary. He made his position known on his Facebook Page.
Akinnola stated in his post: “I have long held this notion, that even an armed robber caught in the act, deserves fair hearing. Major Gideon Orkar announced the aborted coup against the Babangida junta on April 22, 1990. Despite the fact that a number of people were killed, including the ADC to the president, Col. U.K. Bello, during the coup, when Okar and his fellow comrades were arrested, they were not summarily executed. Despite the fact that he announced the coup attempt, which prima facie made him liable, he was not summarily executed. They were still charged to a military tribunal and underwent trials before execution.
“Why am l saying this? I find the demotion of two hotels in Port Harcourt on the orders and supervision of Governor Wike, for purportedly operating against his Covid Executive Orders, as the height of abuse of power. You cannot be the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge at the same time”.
“The best he could have done was to seal up the premises, pending the trial of the manager of the hotel. By whimsically and capriciously supervising the demolition without recourse to due process, the Governor has rendered the workers in the hotel jobless, with its effects of dependants. If that sprawling arrays of buildings on a large stretch of land along Ada George road is demolished after 2023, how would he feel?
“When some of us talk about due process, it’s not to validate any supposed infraction but that is how a decent society operates. If the EFCC had acted in such capricious manner, by convicting him without trial, Wike would not have been a Governor.
While he was the Chief of Staff to Amaechi, the EFCC arrested him for allegedly laundering some sums of money for Amaechi at Zenith bank. He went to court and got a reprieve. But this time, he has forgotten all that due process and behaving like a rampaging bull”, he further stated.
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