Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says that he shut down Carverton Helicopters operations in the state because the company appeared to value its business activities or profit more than, and in clear disregard of, the lives of the people of the state.
Wike on Thursday executed its quit order against Caverton Helicopters.
He had on Wednesday directed the respective local government chairmen to close all offices of Carveton Helicopters in their domains.
The chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Solomon Eke, accompanied by some police officers, executed the order yesterday on behalf of the state government.
Before sealing off the premises, Eke and his entourage, Financial Street gathered, went to Caverton premises at the Nigeria Air Force base and addressed the company’s workers. He then handed them the quit notice.
The governor, who had earlier accused the Federal Government of not providing any COVID-19 aid to the state, described the action of the aviation company as “suspicious”.
His words, “We appreciate the need to protect business interests and operations in the state and we will do whatever that is required to ensure that no business is unduly affected by the measures we have taken to combat the coronavirus.
“However, we shall not welcome businesses or companies that value their business activities or profit more than or in clear disregard of the lives and health of our people,” Wike said in a media address.
The governor said the “highly insensitive and provocative actions of Calverton Helicopters took place in the midst of credible intelligence reports about plans by enemies of the state to traffic carriers of the dreaded coronavirus into the state.
“With this declaration, Calverton Helicopters can only choose to operate in any part of Rivers at its own risk.
“Their morbid intention is to create panic by pushing up the infection rate and rubbish the robust measures we have since put in place to cut off the spread of the virus and keep our state and our citizens safe and secure from the ravaging pandemic.”
