- Wike: He Violated the Law
- Hotel Owner: I Didn’t Break Any Law
By Oyinlola Awonuga (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment, Fashion and Sports Desk)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the owner of Prudent Hotel, one of the two hotels demolished on Sunday by the River state government have been exchanging words in the media.
On Sunday, the lockdown in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt Council Areas of Rivers took another dimension, as Governor Wike, ordered the demolition of hotels in Eleme Council for flouting the state’s directives.
The demolished hotels are Prudent Hotel, Alode in Eleme and Etemeteh Hotel in Onne. The action has been widely criticized as the one lacking fear hearing.
Given reasons for the action, Wike said the hotels were demolished after it violated an Executive Order on COVID 19, despite warnings from the State government.
The Governor said that the focus on hotels was because one of the coronavirus cases in the state spread the virus from a hotel.
Wike who monitored the demolition said his action was in line with the Rivers State Government Executive Order 6, which banned the operation of hotels across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
Governor Wike told newsmen at the demolition scene that the law must be obeyed, hence the State Government’s decision to enforce it.
According to him; “Government has no alternative but to apply the Executive order which I signed before the lockdown of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt. I called all the Traditional Rulers and Council Chairmen and told them to ensure that no hotel operates in the State.
“We are not saying it will be forever. This is for now so that we know where we are. To reduce the cases and check the spread.
“Whether you are PDP or not, all we are saying is that nobody is above the law. If we can do this to a PDP person, then you know we are not discriminatory. Everyone must obey. Whether you are in the PDP, SDP or no party, you must obey the law. If any other person does the same thing, the same rule will apply.
“We said no hotel should operate within this period. Unfortunately, the PDP Youth Leader in Eleme joined others to flout the Executive Order. Therefore, the executive order will be applied.
“We said if any hotel operates, the government will bring down that hotel. We are doing what we have told people that we are going to do.
“Nobody wants to obey any rules. We are saying just for now, keep off, let us see how we can keep our people safe.
“Look at the rate of infections, most of these people are found in hotels. Look at the man that died, he was at Mingi Hotel in Rumumasi. Due to that contact, we have had other seven cases.
“People should help us and support the Government for Rivers people to be safe. The Security Council will meet to review the strategies and achievements or setbacks, moving forward.
Responding to the Governor’s allegations, the owner of Prudent Hotel, Promise Gogorodari, has denied violating any law to warrant the demolition of his property.
Gogorodari in a telephone interview with newsmen said the state government should have carried out proper investigation before demolishing his hotel.
The Lagos-based hotelier said that the demolition of two hotels was a setback for the state in terms of investment, adding that the development was not good for investors in the state.
“I am based in Lagos but I am not in the right frame of mind to speak now. There is nobody who will not feel bad about this. It is a hotel that I built for the past seven years. The demolition of hotels is a setback to the state in terms of investment.
“That was an investment that was taking care of my family and relatives and people around me. There was no fair hearing before the demolition took place. With this, many people are out of jobs.
“I did not violate any order. The government was supposed to do some investigations before doing that. And if they found me wanting, then another procedure should be followed; not demolishing a structure like that,” Gogorodari said.
