Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello has tackled officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over their alleged refusal to be tested for COVID-19.
The officials were sent to the State on Thursday to boost the State’s capacity in the fight against the pandemic.
MDB gathered that on their arrival, the delegation, lead by Noah Andrew, presented a letter titled: “Deployment of Rapid Response Squad to help in fighting Covid-19”, to the governor, explaining the mission of the health officials in the state.
Andrew said the team were sent to provide logistics just like they had done in other states of the federation.
He stated that, two members of the team would be left behind to help the state in her efforts to fight COVID-19.
“We are here to support the state in shipping swabs and samples and ascertian the preparedness of the state in fighting Covid-19,” he said.
Speaking shortly after receiving the letter, Bello outlined steps taken so far by the state to fight the pandemic.
He said the state is highly experienced in fighting infectious diseases such as Lassa fever and malaria, adding that the experience has been brought to bear in fighting COVID-19.
He consequently asked that the NCDC officials go on 14-day isolation, after which they will be tested for the virus. However, trouble started when the delegates refused the test and returned to Abuja.
In a statement, Kogi Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, questioned the NCDC officials’ refusal to be tested for the virus and called on the centre to investigate the issue.
He said;
“It was drama today at the Kogi State Government House as officials of the National Center for Disease Control sent to ascertain the COVID-19 status flee the state.
“The Officials said they were not ready to be tested for COVID-19 and went back to Abuja. Today, the Governor showed the statesmanship in him once again by appreciating the support of the NCDC and defending the health interests of his people.
“NCDC quarantined the Chinese professionals that came to give them technical support and also took their samples for test. It is a normal practice and protocol set by NCDC.
“So NCDC will have a lot to explain as to why its officials refused to test for COVID-19. How can we be sure of their status? What are their fears? Why did NCDC send people who are afraid of test to our State? What was their intention? The officials that came have dealt an integrity blow to the works of the NCDC. Is there something they are hiding? It is time NCDC opened up and apologize to the good people of Kogi State. How will they encourage people to test when its own officials are afraid of test? This is sad.”
As at press time, Kogi and Cross River are the only states which have not recorded any case of the disease in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna, has said the state is under pressure to declare that it has COVID-19 cases where there is none.
The commissioner made the claims in a statement on Thursday.
Haruna who is the state commissioner for health, a member of the Governing Board of the FMC Lokoja, and also the incident manager for COVID-19 in the state, said he is yet to be informed of any claimed cases.
“There is also a representative of the FMC Lokoja in the state’s squadron against COVID-19 /Lassa fever and never for once was any such case raised in our meetings,” he said.
The commissioner alleged that the aim of those putting pressure on the state was to politicise the situation as “they are not happy that the current administration has been scored high by local and international observers on health care.”
He added;
“First and foremost, it is imperative that the public realise that there is no state government that can deliberately put her people in harm’s way for whatever political reason and the current administration has been scored high by local and international observers on health. We have and will continue to put the health of our people as first priority.
“We have been in an annual fight against Lassa fever as the state is located in the Lassa fever belt, recording several cases with regrettable losses. We were first to establish a Biosafety Laboratory for Lassa fever in Nigeria and this year alone we have confirmed 30 cases of Lassa fever that was duly announced. To accuse the state of a cover-up of COVID-19 cases is mischievous and at best politically inclined.”
The statement followed a report, which claimed that four persons suspected to be COVID-19 patients had died at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja in the last one week.
Haruna reiterated that the state is yet to record any case of COVID-19.
