The demand by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the immediate restoration of police officers to the Rivers State Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic is clear and unequivocal. The party has urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to take prompt action in this regard. According to the PDP, the withdrawal of police from the Rivers Task Force is tantamount to politicizing the efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Expressing concern, the PDP stated that the absence of police personnel from the state task force will only result in lawlessness and hamper the genuine efforts of the Rivers State Government to enforce health safety protocols aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting the lives of Nigerians in the state.
The party also acknowledged the proactive actions of Governor Nyesom Wike and other PDP governors in their respective states to flatten the curve, despite the lack of commensurate support from the Federal Government. The PDP emphasized the counterproductivity of the directive to withdraw security personnel from the Rivers State task force and called for its reversal in order to support Governor Wike’s efforts in combating the pandemic, particularly considering the strategic importance of the state to the nation’s economic stability.
The withdrawal of police officers followed the state governor’s supervision of the demolition of two hotels that violated the lockdown order in the state.