Printers and publishers in Rivers State under the aegis of the Independent Professional Printers and Publishers Association (IPPPA) have applauded the efforts of the Governor Nyesom Wike to mobilize people and other resources to checkmate the spread of the coronavirus in the State.

But they are also asking him to consider critical sectors of the economy such as theirs for regulated exemption to enable them provide essential services to the society.

The association gave this applause and made the request in a statement signed by its Chairman, Alphonsus Nkanang, Secretary, Emmanuel Ojukwu, and Public Relations Officer, Anthony Amadi and made available to Kristina Reports.

The statement is reproduced below:

“Press Statement

COVID-19, Palliatives and Rivers citizens

The Independent Professional Printers and Publishers Association (IPPPA), Rivers State, fully cognizant of the effect of the global Corona Virus pandemic (COVID-19), wishes to congratulate the Governor of Rivers State, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, POS (Africa), on the pragmatic steps he has taken so far to prevent the spread of the ravaging virus into the state. 

Your Excellency, it is our observation that you blazed the trail on territorial lockdown, as a result of which Rivers State was spared the early spread of the disease.

But as a concerned organization in the state, which also is affected by the various lifesaving policies of the state government, IPPPA is of the view that a regulated authorization of essential activities in parts of Port Harcourt will be far less harmful than a total lockdown in those areas as this will better address the humanitarian and welfare needs of the people. It is, however, our candid advice that the masses should endeavour to adhere to government directives in order not to attract stern measures from the authorities in response to perceived disobedience.

On the palliatives given by the state government, we want to thank the Governor and his team for the laudable efforts in putting this measure in place, though there were initial problems bordering on distributions, coordination and monitoring to make sure that the items reached the target audience. We are also aware that these anomalies were quickly noticed by the Governor and a promise to address them has already been made.

While we commend the Governor for expanding the membership of the state palliatives committee, we also call on him to work out better modalities for the expanded committee to reach out to the masses with fewer flaws.

Further to this, we call on His Excellency to consider the interest of some vital sectors in the state such as the printing sector, which is not represented in the palliatives committee but whose means of livelihood has been grossly affected by the ban on several social and official activities.

As a responsible association, we assure the government and people of Rivers State of our continuous support in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. We take the responsibility to sensitize our members and, by extension, the general public on the preventive measures available from government, The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  We are also calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently see how to partner with the State Government in combating this dreaded disease.”