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Six staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been confirmed positive for COVID-19.
The commission disclosed this on its Twitter handle yesterday.
The six staff were said to be attached to the office Cairo Ojougboh, executive director (projects), of the agency.
But Ojougboh was said to have tested negative for the disease.
“As NDDC headquarters staff undergo isolation and COVID-19 screening, six of 33 staff members in the Office of the Executive Director (Projects), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, have tested positive to COVID-19. However, Dr Ojougboh tested negative,” the tweet read.
Earlier, the headquarters of the agency was shut down after the confirmation that Ibanga Bassey Etang, one of its directors, died from complications of COVID-19.
The Chief Imam of Kabba, Shiek Ahmed Ejibunu who along his son was declared as the COVID-19 index case for Kogi State two weeks ago were never treated for Coronavirus at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Rather, the Chief Imam who was discharged last Friday was treated for diabetes and other ailment while the son was not even put on bed rest but was running errands for the sick father.
While the face-off between the Kogi State government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) continue over the free status of the state, the centre on May 27 recorded two cases- the Chief Imam and his son named.
But the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo said, yesterday that the state swung into action immediately the Chief Imam was discharged to ascertain the true nature of his sickness only to find out that he was never treated for the Coronavirus.
“We called this press conference to bring you up to speed on the Covid-19 situation in Kogi State and to further clear the air on our disagreements on some facts and principles with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over their management of alleged COVID-19 patients in Kogi State.
“It is no more news that the NCDC declared two COVID-19 cases for Kogi State on the 27th of May, 2020 in circumstances which the Kogi State Government found herself unable to accept as transparent. It has now gone ahead to build on that false foundation by declaring one more case for the State last week, for a total score of 3.
“The respected Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheik Abubakar Ahmad Ejibunu who is in his early 60s along with one of his sons were the purported index cases from Kogi State declared on May 27, 2020 by NCDC. They were whisked to Abuja from Lokoja on the said day and declared Covid-19 positive a few hours later.
“After nine days in her custody, the NCDC discharged the Chief Imam on Saturday June 6 and 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.
“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.
“The cleric maintains that he suffered from nothing beyond complications from an attack by bees, medical conditions which pre-date the Covid-19 pandemic and stress from travels associated with his work. Till he was released yesterday, he was held in conditions which allowed him to interact with visitors.
“The son’s case is even more strange as he has a negative test result to confirm that he is Covid-19 free. Ditto all his siblings who were tested in the days following as the NCDC serially sought an off-taker for the second Covid-19 case which they had earlier foisted on Kogi State.
“Throughout his father’s time in the custody of the NCDC, and in keeping with his Covid-19 negative status, the son remained at liberty and was his father’s primary helper. He was never hospitalised and was allowed to go home each day and return the next. He was allowed to mingle freely with family, visitors, hospital staff and others.”
