They include Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna; and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. Nigerians from across the divide had commended what the three governors did, saying declaring their status was a good example and will encourage many people to go for the test. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had reportedly written to all the governors to self-isolate after undergoing test for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure. Daily Trust tally revealed that the results of thirteen governors who subjected themselves for the novel coronavirus test came out negative. They are the governors of Kebbi, Katsina, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Ogun, Ondo, Nasarawa, Niger, Cross River, Anambra and Borno. Why some govs did not test for COVID-19 Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State is among the governors that are yet to make their COVID-19 status known.
The state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ali Inname, confirmed this while fielding questions from journalists in Sokoto. According to him, the governor was only observing social distancing as recommended by NCDC but not on self -isolation as being insinuated in the social media. Inname also said that the governor was not tested for COVID-19 because he had not shown any of its cardinal symptoms. “One can only be tested when he has a contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus and later begin to show its symptoms or has the four cardinal symptoms. Our governor is not showing any of these symptoms and has been attending state businesses,” he said. Efforts to confirm whether Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State had undergone test for coronavirus were not successful. Messages sent to the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser were not returned. Also, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, told our correspondent that it was not his responsibility to confirm whether the governor had tested for COVID -19 or not. The Delta State Commissioner of Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said it was not necessary for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to subject himself to self- isolation. Speaking to our correspondent on phone, Aniagwu said Okowa was not at the governors’ forum meeting that prompted the call for all governors to self-isolate.
He said the governor was only represented at the meeting. In Lagos, the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis, the status of Governor Babajide Sanwo -Olu was still unknown. The Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, said it was a personal matter. According to him, “Although I have not asked him if he has done his test for COVID-19 or not, but I think the governor does not need to do the test because other governors are doing it. He has not shown any symptoms, so why doing it? “There are many people who are anxious to get the test done to ascertain the state of their health, why not give them the opportunity to do the test instead of wasting the testing kits?” he asked. “Some members of the cabinet have done theirs sometimes ago. We were not forced to do it; so it is not everyone that did it. Test is not something that should just be done for the sake of doing it especially if someone has not travelled or been in contact with someone who has been tested positive,” he said.
The Plateau State Commissioner of Information and Communication, Mr. Dan Manjang, told Daily Trust that he was not aware if Governor Simon Bako Lalong had undergone the test for COVID-19. He said all he knew was that Lalong was healthy, active and had been performing essential public functions in the state. There was no report whether Governor Mai Mala Buni got tested for COVID-19 or not and at the time of filing this report, he was not on self- isolation. However, calls and text message sent to his spokesman, Mamman Mohammed, to comment on this issue were not replied. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has not yet tested for coronavirus. Ortom’s spokesman, Terver Akase, in a text message to our correspondent, however, said that the governor had offered to undergo the test. Akase also in another email message stated that, “the governor expressed his readiness to submit a sample of his blood for testing and promised to make the result public after the test.
He also urged his deputy to do same to be sure of his status.” In Zamfara, the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Enlightenment, Media Communication, Mallam Zailani Bappa said he was not aware whether Governor Bello Matawalle was tested or not, saying he would have to find out from his personal physician. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State is yet to undergo coronavirus test and no reason was given by one of his media aides. The status of Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State is not known. Sources close to the governor said they will not comment on the matter, insisting that it was at the discretion of the governor to make it public. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has not undergone coronavirus test also.
The Director General, Media and Communication in the governor’s office, Solomon Kumangar, said the governor had been in Kano for the recent PDP congresses and did not make any suspicious contact afterwards. In Jigawa, the COVID-19 status of Governor Muhammad Badaru is also not known. The situation is the same in Gombe, Kwara, Ebonyi, and Kogi. And in Kano, the Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, said that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had voluntarily gone for the test and that the result was being awaited. Garba said doctors had confirmed that since there were no symptoms of the disease, there was no need for the governor to self- isolate. He said, “Governor Ganduje has undergone test for COVID-19 in his quest to know his status and we are waiting for the result. As soon as the result is ready, we will make the status of the governor public.”
Source:Daily Trust
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Politics