Rivers State Government says manager of the demolished Prodest Hotel in Eleme loca government area of the state is among its 27 new covid-19 cases.
The state government had received lashes from well-meaning Nigerians for relying on its executive order to demolish the hotel.
Paulinus Nsirim, the state’s commissioner for information and communications said that the latest development validates the State Government’s proactive approach towards the fight against COVID-19.
Last week, a Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt fined the Manager of the Hotel, Bariledum Job the sum of 50 thousand naira for violating the Executive Order of Governor Nyesom Wike on hotel closure.
Senior Magistrate Rita Oguguo while delivering her judgment also ordered that Bariledum Job should be sent to the isolation center at Elekahia for 14 days.
The Senior Magistrate also directed that Bariledum Job should undergo a coronavirus test to ascertain his COVID-19 status.
The Court said Bariledum Job was convicted after contravening paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Executive Order number seven of the State Government under the Quarantine Regulations.
However, the counsel to Bariledum Job, Godwin Awi was absent during the court proceedings.
The Manager of Prodest Hotel had insisted on seeing his lawyer, but the lawyers of the state government said Godwin Awi had sent a text message withdrawing himself from the case.
The lawyer to the Manager of Prodest Hotel said he was absent in court because of the inability of legal practitioners to get a pass as essential service providers during the lockdown.
