Lawyers urge Abuja, Rivers cooperation to fight COVID-19

  • Labour demands release of suspects, threatens to withdraw services

Legal practitioners who specialise in aviation and maritime issues have called on the Federal Government to work with the Rivers State to win the fight against COVID-19.

National President of Admiralty Lawyers Society of Nigeria, Angus Chukwuka, described the rift between the federal and Rivers governments over the arrest and arraignment of the two pilots who flew in oil workers as an unnecessary distraction that might lead to the derailment of a successful fight against COVID 19.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Chukwuka said “though the Federal Government has the exclusive jurisdiction to make laws on matters of aviation, the Rivers government also has a duty to protect its citizens from the deadly disease.”

The United Labour Congress (ULC) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the oil workers.

Condemning the arrest and incarceration of Nigerian workers discharging their lawful duties in the state, president of ULC, Joe Ajaero, argued that if the state government wanted to arrest anybody at all, Caverton Helicopters and the oil and gas companies should not have been the target.

The union, which did not see where the workers erred to warrant their arrest, threatened to withdraw its service if the harassment and intimidation continues.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

x

Check Also

$5trn Climate Debt: Activists Demand Rich Countries Pay Up At COP29, Peoples Plenary

$5trn Climate Debt: Activists Demand Rich Countries Pay Up At COP29, Peoples ...