Civil Rights Council condemns Rivers hotels’ demolition
Published 05/11/2020
An organisation of civil society have totally disagreed over the cruel demolition of two hotels in Eleme and Onne by the Rivers State Government which took place on Sunday, supervised by the Governor.
The pulling down of the two hotels, Prodest and Etemeteh, in Eleme and Onne was done after being allegedly accused of violating Executive Order which was aimed at checking the spread of the Coronavirus.
While this society and many have condemned the demolition, Ex-NBA President Okocha, insisted that actions taken by the state government was justified in the eyes of the law, especially after several warnings were given to the hoteliers to stop operating in this period.
He said the Order which was signed by the Governor, was appropriate and anyone who feels uncomfortable with them should go to the court of Law and challenge it or rather, seek legal advice, for the law is duly constituted.
The ex-NBA president praised Wike for the steps he has taken to get rid of Covid-19 in Rivers State while also checking the spread of the virus.
Okocha said the hosteliers sent some thugs and local boys to beat up members of the taskforce who were sent to remind them of the Order. The Order is to secure people's safety and to reduce the spread of the virus.
But in a statement signed by National Coordinator of the Civil Rights Council, Mr. Arochukwu Ogbonna, and three others, the demolition of the two hotels was cruel and the action of the Governor was in contravention of the 1999 Constitution.
The group further said only the National Assembly had the power to make laws and that no governor had such powers, especially the one infringing human rights, according to Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
However in Section 5 and 315 of the Constitution, a governor passes an executive order subject to the provision of the Constitution, meaning that the executive order is invalid if it is in direct violation of any law or an Act of the National Assembly.