NCDC : Its Unfortunate Kogi Rejected Our Offer, Mistaking Our Service for a Money making venture

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says Kogi rejected the help offered by the agency to ascertain the COVID-19 situation in the state.

Kogi and Cross River are the two states yet to confirm a single case of the disease in the country.

The Kogi state government had alleged that there are attempts to declare fake COVID-19 cases in the state.

When a delegation from the NCDC visited the state on Thursday night, Yahaya Bello, the governor, asked the team to go on 14-day isolation or leave the state immediately. The team then returned to Abuja.

Speaking at the presidential task force briefing on Friday, the NCDC boss said they can only offer help when it is needed.

“We can only offer help where it is wanted. Yesterday, we offered that help but it wasn’t in a place where the help could be accepted. Unfortunately, that was what happened last night,” Ihekweazu said.

“We have supported Kogi in every possible way, one of the first states that had an emergency operation centre supported by NCDC.

“In the long term, the purpose of our existence is to support the state, they have the primary responsibility for health security. Our role is to support, it’s a role I take seriously.”

However , Governor Yahaya Bello Speaks-

"Remember that our visitors are also coming from the epicenter and from the daily briefing we receive from the NCDC and PTF we were made to know that a lot of their officials and doctors have been infected by the virus.

Since they have come now, we are going to work with them but after observing their own rules. So it’s either they go into the quarantine for fourteen days to ascertain their status. we are Covid-19 free in the state and anyone coming to help us, the status must be known.

I as the governor of the state first ensured that I was well educated about the disease, which has symptoms including cough, catarrh, sore throat, shortening of breathe which are not novel occurrences in the country. We have had these ailments and have survived severally.

NCDC, WHO and other professional bodies have mentioned that the mortality rate was as low as less than 1% but has now increased because of the panic created in the people.

Why are we doing this to our people, is it a crime that Mr. President wants the country to be self sufficient (food production)? People can no longer go to farm. We have a rice mill here but can't get the paddy anymore to process. All rice Mills in Nigeria are shutdown because of lack of paddy. We are lockdown and when it is over what will happen ? Our people can't afford three square meal anymore because The price of food has gone up and at the end of the pandemic our borders would be forced to open for all kinds of food to come in. Nigeria will become dumping ground for all products again. Why are we doing all these to ourselves? People can no longer even visit the hospitals because doctors are being reported to be dying, health workers are getting scared, people are scared to go to the hospital as there are nobody to threat them which might result to death, not as a result of Covid-19 but fear. People are developing high Blood Pressure.

Where are we headed? why are we causing hardship to our people, we were elected to serve the people we should be courageous enough to tell covid-19 to return back to where it came from, that it has no place in our country.

Anyone who meets the requirement for testing would be tested. Our people will continue to protect themselves along the NCDC guidelines and measures to stay safe of the coronavirus.

I hear that you will make money if your state have COVID-19, if that is true I am not interested in making money with the life of the people I am elected to protect".

Governor Yahaya Bello, 07/05/2020