Coronavirus: FG Confirms Yahaya Bello Rejected NCDC Officials

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has revealed that Governor Yahaya Bello asked the staff of the NCDC to leave Kogi State.

Naija News recalls that Yahaya Bello had stirred reactions in the state after he reportedly demanded officials of the NCDC, mobilized to the state, to first be isolated and tested for Coronavirus before allowing them to carry out their duty.

The medical experts were sent to Kogi state on Thursday, May 7 to support the state in combating any possible case of Coronavirus.

Recall that Kogi and Cross River State so far has not recorded any case COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it was reported that the NCDC officials shunned Governor Yahaya Bello’s request and they returned to Abuja.

Speaking during the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja, on Friday, the NCDC DG disclosed that Yahaya Bello never accepted the assistance rendered by its official in trying to trace COVID-19 patients in the State.

He, however, admitted that Yahaya Bello was responsible for the health security of Kogi State.

Ihekweazu said: “You can only offer help where the help is wanted. Yesterday we offered that help but it wasn’t in a place where the help could be accepted.

“Unfortunately, that is what happened last night. The reality is that we have had a great relationship with Kogi.

“We have supported Kogi State in every possible way. It is one of the first states that has an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) supported by the NCDC.

“I think in the long term, the purpose of our existence is to support the states. They have the primary responsibility of the health security in their state.”

This online news platform reports that the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday confirmed 386 new cases of coronavirus in Nigeria.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 3912.

According to the breakdown by NCDC according to the states, 176-Lagos 65-Kano 31-Katsina 20-FCT 17-Borno 15-Bauchi 14-Nasarawa 13-Ogun 10-Plateau 4-Oyo 4-Sokoto 4-Rivers 3-Kaduna 2-Edo 2-Ebonyi 2-Ondo 1-Enugu 1-Imo 1-Gombe 1-Osun

The NCDC figures also confirmed 679 persons have been discharged while 117 deaths have been recorded.