Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has decried lack of Federal Government’s COVID-19 testing centres in the state despite economic contributions of Rivers.
The Governor also asked wealthy people in the state to stop criticisms and contribute to his administration’s efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic.
Wike spoke at the weekend when he received a COVID-19 test kit known as Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction , Reagents and Busters for RT-PCR from former Governor Peter Odili of Pamo Clinics and Hospitals.
The Governor, who received the equipment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Port Harcourt, described the items as critical to tackling coronavirus in the state.
He said: “This is a presentation of PCR , reagents and necessary test kits. This is not a time to criticize. This is not a time to give reasons, but a time to support. This should be a collective effort to curtail the spread of this pandemic.”
Wike called on all wealthy Rivers indigenes to use their resources to invest in supporting the state saying there was a need to support the less privileged.
He thanked the former governor for always working to promote the interest of the state.
He said: “To protect lives is very important to you. That is what we have done today. You have shown that humanity is important to you.
“I thank you so much. With what what you have done, those Rivers people who have been sleeping in Lagos and Abuja will be encouraged to work for the State. ”
Odili commended Wike for reviving and equipping the State Teaching Hospital.
He also lauded the Governor for the statewide distribution of Palliatives, saying that Rivers people appreciated Wike’s benevolence.
On the fight against coronavirus, Odili said that the entire world is at war declared by virus saying there was no safe havens.
He said: “It is a new thing that calls for response and the governor’s response has been proper. The closure of the borders was a step in the right direction. ”
He announced the donation of PCR Test Machine and three thousand test kits and reagents to the government by Pamo Clinics and Hospitals to enhance the fight against coronavirus.
Rivers Health Commissioner, Prof. Chike Princewill, said that with the PCR machine and the necessary reagents, the state government could complete coronavirus tests in Rivers