RIVERS State residents at the weekend expressed fears following threats by Governor Nyesom Wike to return his lockdown strategy.

The residents, especially persons living in the capital city, comprising Port Harcourt, and Obio-Akpor local government areas, said they could not afford another curfew.

They urged the government to jettison the idea.

“Returning to another lockdown is a suicide mission. We haven’t survived the series of partial and complete lockdowns earlier imposed by the government. Open markets are still shut. Survival has been difficult,” a resident Ijeoma, who lives on Ada George Street, said.

She appealed to the government to consider other measures, promising to observe protocols of social distancing, wearing of face masks and regular washing of hands to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

Another resident, who identified himself as Edward, said there was no need for another lockdown, querying the results of previous curfews by the state government.

He said: “We can see that despite the previous lockdowns, cases of the pandemic continued to rise in the state. The lockdown strategy has only succeeded in destroying the economy of the state. It has not prevented the spread of the disease. The government should, therefore, explore other strategies.”

But investigations revealed that with the increasing trend of COVID-19 cases in the state, the governor might make good his threat.

Yesterday, the statistics of the National Council for Disease Control (NCDC) showed that the state recorded 204 cases and 13 deaths.

The situation reportedly assumed a worrisome proportion, following deaths of high profile persons, including top government officials linked to the pandemic.

It was gathered that a top official in the Treasury Department located in the state secretariat died of suspected COVID-19 complications.

It was further learnt that five more persons in the Ministry of Finance also tested positive to the Coronavirus disease.

Persons, who visited the ill-fated block, were reportedly advised to isolate themselves for 14 days.

The death of the top official in the treasury came a day after the Chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area, Odiari Princewill, known as a strong Wike loyalist, reportedly died of similar complications.

It was gathered that the council boss breathed his last on Wednesday at about 10pm and was buried on Thursday morning at the Port Harcourt Cemetery.

Wike recently flayed the unserious attitude of residents towards the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, decrying their refusal to adhere to preventive measures of social distancing and wearing of face masks.