Kogi State government has alleged that there are plans to ‘import’ cases of coronavirus into the state through illicit means.
Reacting to a controversy over a case of an expatriate with a suspected case, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo said the patient’s demand does not fit into the spectrum of criteria set by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for actual or suspected COVID-19 cases requiring testing.
The demand, according to the official statement, was suspicious because the said lady confessed that she had stopped feeling the initial symptoms and “her temperature was at a healthy 36.8°C”.
Nobody has been tested for the virus in Kogi.
The government alleged that there are attempts to import the disease or declare fictitious cases in Kogi State.
Fanwo said the State Covid-19 management committee received a distress call from a female expatriate working with an international organization in Kogi State who suspected that she had symptoms similar to those associated with COVID-19.
He explained that the Committee promptly located her and found that her fears were misplaced.
He said ‘curiously’ however, the expatriate still insisted on sending her samples to NCDC for Covid-19 testing.
“The Kogi State Government is genuinely suspicious of the motive behind her insistence, especially as we strongly suspect there are attempts to import the disease or declare fictitious cases in Kogi State.
“In view of the fact that Kogi State is one of only two states still CoviD-19 free in Nigeria and having regard to recent pressures from some interesting quarters for Kogi State to find and declare cases of the disease, we are wary of an unholy conspiracy to declare COVID-19 in all states of the federation.
“It is therefore pertinent to note that while the Kogi State Government will never conceal any real case of the novel coronavirus disease if it occurs in the state, she will adhere strictly to NCDC guidelines to vehemently resist all attempts to manufacture false figures or cases of COVID-19 in Kogi State.
“The great people of Kogi State have shown admirable resilience and a strong sense of responsibility since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and we urge them to continue observing the recommended personal, environmental and respiratory hygiene protocols as recommended by both international and national regulatory authorities.
“We assure all Kogites that His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello and his team take seriously indeed the duty to safeguard them from all threats to their health and will continue to safeguard them from all diseases, including COVID-19, Lassa Fever and other ailments,” he said.
