Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has told the federal government not to use the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse not to provide the necessary infrastructures in the country.

Wike made this assertion when he led Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip of the Senate, on a facility tour of the ultramodern Government House hospital and administrative building in Port Harcourt, the State capital, on Thursday.

The governor said Rivers would not join the league of States that hide under the guise of the coronavirus outbreak to deny the people essential infrastructure like roads, water and electricity.

According to Wike, “COVID-19 can’t be an excuse to any government. COVID-19 is a bad thing, but it has come. It will go whether we like it or not. But people will also be alive.

“Infrastructure must be provided, so you can’t say because of COVID-19 nothing will be done.

“At the time COVID-19 ends, what will the people be facing? Lack of basic infrastructure.

“So, because of COVID-19, I’m not going to be doing anything? I’m not a party to that.

“I’ll continue to work whether there is COVID-19 or not.”