Kogi govt insists state has no COVID-19 case

The Kogi State government has maintained its position on the status of the state regarding the coronavirus pandemic, reiterating that the state has no known case of the virus.

The state government has had a running battle with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) accusing the federal government body of a ploy to ensure cases were 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 NCDC says it has confirmed three cases in the state.

In a text of a press conference by the state’s commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo, sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the state government said all the three cases said to be found in Kogi by the NCDC were wrongly declared.

The index cases, according to Mr Fanwo, were said to be the Chief Imam of Kabba, Abubakar Ahmad, and one of his sons.

The commissioner said the Imam and the son were ferried to Abuja in suspicious circumstances and were declared positive of the coronavirus thereafter.

According to Mr Fanwo, Mr Ahmad had since disowned his COVID-19 status saying he only got complications arising from bee stings.

The commissioner said Mr Ahmad was also allowed visitors and was released by the NCDC after spending nine days at the National Hospital in Abuja.

“Upon his return home, he was extensively debriefed by us 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,” he said.

Mr Fanwo said the Imam was allowed to entertain visitors while at the hospital.

“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 and received no result of such a diagnosis neither did his doctors at the National Hospital, Abuja where he was confined advise him of it,” Mr Fanwo said.

The commissioner explained that the latest case of the virus declared by the NCDC for the state is similarly suspicious.

“Nearly one week after she was sneaked onto the NCDC’s list, the Kogi State Government is yet to be armed with the actionable information she needs to take preemptive actions in line with the Covid-19 guideline,” he said.

He said the state government has taken all measures, including lockdown on Kabba-Bunu and contact tracing, but found that there was no truth to the declaration by the NCDC.

“We make it clear once again that there is no case of Covid-19 in Kogi State. If ever there is, we will be the first to announce it while deploying all recommended protocols and procedures,” he said.