Gov. Amaechi’s Negligence Responsible for Spread of Ebola in Rivers - PDP

…Says Amaechi Prefers Politicking with Citizens’ Lives

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP says carelessness and insensitivity on the part of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker, are responsible for the unfortunate spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the State, with a confirmed death incident of an innocent doctor, Ike Samuel Elemo, as the first victim.

Rotimi Amaechi

The PDP notes that Gov Amaechi’s laxity and his Health Commissioner not been proactive in putting in place necessary facilities and modalities in preventing the Ebola outbreak or tackling it to avoid spread in the event of any reported case is consequently regrettable, as the Rivers State situation might be more severe than that of Lagos State, in which case the State government at least showed some form of seriousness by cooperating with the Federal government prompt responses to the index case and others who had contacts with him .

The PDP expresses astonishment while reacting to the death of the medical Doctor in Port Harcourt, who had contact with an Ebola patient, and who’s wife and over 200 persons are reported being infected with the Ebola virus in Port Harcourt.

Describing the situation as devastating, the PDP regretted that all efforts by the Federal Government to contain the spread of Ebola to Rivers State were rebuffed by Governor Rotimi Amaechi, including shunning a meeting convened in Abuja on the prevention of the spread of Ebola to other States, presided over by President Jonathan, which had in attendance, 35 States Governors, except him (Amaechi).

At the meeting, modalities for containment of the spread of the virus were considered and agreed upon, and all the governors in attendance resolved and had immediately taken proactive steps in impeding the spread.

This development, the PDP believes, elucidates the fact that the Governor had always look for an avenue to milk dry the State, as what he and his Executive members will now do is to present an expansive budget purportedly for dealing with the current avoidable situation in the State, thereby enriching themselves.

The Party also observes that rather than key into the policies and programmes of the Federal Government in containing the spread of Ebola to Rivers State, Governor Amaechi prefers to embark on ward to ward APC campaigns in the State, against the advice by the Rivers State Police Command.

By the latest development in the State, PDP is convinced that more Ebola cases are in Rivers State, following out right negligence of the governor, who prefers to travel to other parts of the States and beyond than stay back and first tackle Ebola and other emergency developments.

The PDP also expresses strong disapproval of claims made by the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, that all adequate measures have been taken to contain the spread of Ebola in Rivers State, believing that if that was the true reflection of government’s action, the heart breaking death of Dr. Elemo would have been avoided.

The PDP is not in doubt that all actions taken by the Rivers State Government so far, are measures that are not in the interest of the people, but aimed at looting the State resources.

Gov. Amaechi’s Negligence Responsible for Spread of Ebola in Rivers - PDP