The Rivers State Government has exposed the plans of some Abuja based politicians trying to use COVID-19 to create a crisis in the Southern State so that the State of Emergency can be declared. 

The Commissioner for Information and Communications in Rivers State, Paulinus Nsirim revealed this in a statement signed on Tuesday, May 19. 

According to him, the culprits are the same set of people who tried to Declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State in 2015 without succeeding. 

The Commissioner added that all the efforts of these politicians to ensure that the 2019 Governorship election results were announced ended up in futility. 

"As the build up for the 2023 elections and jostle for Presidential and Vice-Presidential tickets is gathering momentum, they want to use COVID-19 to create a crisis as if the State is at war with the Federal Government," Nsirim said. 

Commissioner Nsirim claims that these people have decided to create "unnecessary tension" by making it seem like the indigenes of Ahoada, Eleme and Port Harcourt are fighting with Northerners not to carry out their legitimate businesses. 

He pointed out that communal clashes are not exclusive to only one location or community and have been occurring for a long time.  

"Since 2015, there have farmers/herdsmen clashes in Nasarrawa, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Cross River, Kaduna, Yobe and Bornu States."

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"Bandits have been killing innocent people in Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna States and indigenes of these States no matter their political differences are working together to protect their States."

Nsirim clarified that River State, as well as other States, have only been striving to protect its residents from COVID-19 by restricting movements of people into the State. 

He, however, expressed his frustration with the politicians who instead of supporting the government's efforts, are "busy looking for the State of Emergency because they want to acquire power."

The rest of his statement reads in parts: 

"We are alarmed at these hideous plots against our State. Rivers State has never fought a war with strangers or neighbours.

Our fight against COVID-19 is to protect the lives of everyone living and to do business in the State.

https://eonsintelligence.com/details/news-108923456/total-e-p-to-nigerians-we-would-have-had-reduced-cases-if-other-states-were-as-proactive-as-governor-wike-1466557306

We are aware that some shameless politicians are playing politics with COVID-19.

No wonder one of the respected chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had to expose their plan to use COVID-19 to launch into the politics of the State.

This is what we see in the lives of ungodly, dangerous and power-hungry people who claim to love the State.

 After their clandestine meetings, they have voted huge sums of money to entice and recruit gullible persons to carry out their plan.

All patriotic Rivers State indigenes are hereby placed on alert to resist the devilish plans of these unpatriotic elements who connive with enemies of the State to cause confusion. 

As a State, we have always defeated these sadists, and with God on our side, we shall overcome them."