Kogi State government has declared that the state is coronavirus free, despite Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirming three cases.
The government in Kogi has been at loggerheads with federal authorities and the NCDC since Governor of the state, Yahaya Bello clashed with the agency’s officials.
Read Also: COVID-19: Kogi Gov, Yahaya Bello Clashes With NCDC Officials
Kogi and Cross Rivers were the only Coronavirus free states until Wednesday, May 27 when the NCDC confirmed two coronavirus cases in Kogi.
The state government has since accused the agency of a ploy to ensure cases are recorded in the state through fraudulent means.
The NCDC and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have at different times criticised the government for non-cooperation, accusing it of hiding suspected cases.
The state’s commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo on Monday, has insisted that the state is coronavirus free, saying all the three cases said to be found in Kogi by the NCDC were wrongly declared.
The index cases, according to Fanwo, were said to be the Chief Imam of Kabba, Abubakar Ahmad, and one of his sons.
The commissioner alleged that the Imam and the son were taken to Abuja in suspicious circumstances and were declared positive of the coronavirus thereafter.
Read Also: ‘Kogi Govt Frustrating Efforts To test Test For COVID-19’ – Doctors Cry Out
According to Fanwo, the Imam had since rejected his COVID-19 status saying he only got complications arising from bee stings.
The commissioner noted that Ahmad was also allowed visitors during his isolation at the National Hospital in Abuja and was discharged by the NCDC after nine days.
He explained;
Upon his (Imam Ahmad) return home, he was extensively questioned with a view to ensuring that any lingering public health implications of his case are identified and resolved.
We were however shocked to discover that his experiences in the hands of the NCDC are far from everything that Nigerians have been told constitute best practices in a Covid-19 situation, especially its pathogenesis and management.
Fanwo added that;
The Chief Imam, an upright and outstanding man who is only interested in the truth confirmed what we have known all along — that he did not test positive for CoviD-19. He also did not receive result of his diagnosis neither did his doctors at the National Hospital, Abuja where he was confined advised him of his alleged illness.
The commissioner expressed that the third coronavirus case declared by the NCDC for the state is similarly suspicious.
He argued;
Nearly one week after she (the third case) was sneaked onto the NCDC’s list, the Kogi State Government is yet to be armed with the actionable information she needs to take in line with the Covid-19 guideline.
Fanwo said the state government has taken all measures, including lockdown on Kabba-Bunu and contact tracing, but found that there is no truth in declarations made by the NCDC.
