Wike Evicts Carveton Helicopters Over Unsafe Operations, Rivers

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has evicted Carveton Helicopters, ordering the closure of its offices and operations for alleged unsafe business practice against the state’s Executive Order to check the spread of the virus.

Report from Vanguard reviewed that the Rivers State Government had the day before arraigned two pilots and 10 passengers of the air transport operator at a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court which remanded all the defendants till May 19, 2020, for the commencement of trial while also ordering Covid-19 tests on the accused to ascertain their status.

Wike said, “We appreciate the need to protect business interests and operations in the state. We will do whatever is required to ensure no business is unduly affected by measures we have taken to combat the Coronavirus.

“However, we shall not welcome businesses or companies that value their activities or profit more than or in clear is disregard of lives and health of our people. Calverton Helicopters have clearly shown that Rivers lives do not matter to it. It is an enemy of Rivers people and is hereby declared persona non grata.

“With this declaration, Calverton Helicopters can only choose to operate in any part of Rivers at its own risk as Local Government Chairmen have been directed to close their offices and prevent their operations.”

“Their morbid intention is to create panic by pushing up infection rate to rubbish the robust measures we have since put in place to cut off the spread of the virus and keep our state and citizens safe and secure from the ravaging pandemic.

He further stated that “Calverton Helicopters claimed to have flown passengers into Rivers with permits from federal agencies were never bothered to take the State Government into confidence in issuing such permits in violation of our laws and containment orders.

“While federal agencies reserve the right to issue flight permits to airline operators to fly into Rivers State, we insist that the State Government must equally be informed and taken into confidence in the process.