Health officials have continued to give assurances that Covid-19 infection is not a death sentence and that only those above 50, with underlying ailments, risk complications. However, with notable politicians, including governors, celebrities and dignitaries from different parts of the country contracting the virus, PAUL OKAH looks at the dangers they pose to the rest of us.
It is no longer news that governors, dignitaries and notable personalities from different parts of the country have, at one time or the other, contracted the Covid-19 infection since it berthed in Nigeria in February, this year.
At first, many of the governors lived in self-denial “treating malaria” when they were actually infected with Covid-19, risking the death of others around them, including family members, aides and whoever they came across.
Apart from the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealing that Covid-19 is not a death sentence, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has always said that only the elderly with underlying ailments like diabetes, cancer, among others, need to worry about surviving the infection as it is curable and survivable.
However, over the months, governors like Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, David Umahi of Ebonyi state, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Bala Mohammad of Bauchi state, among others, have all tested positive for the virus.
Also, celebrities like Peter Okoye of the defunct P-Square duo, alongside his wife Lola and daughter, among others, have also tested positive for the virus, thereby raising questions of just how many they must have come in contact with as asymptomatic celebrities.
To make matters worse, while governors and politicians hand over to their deputies or assistants upon confirmation of their positive status, others insist on carrying on, thereby infecting others they are wont to come across.
Trouble in Ondo
Last week, trouble started brewing in Ondo state as the embattled Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, declared that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu must follow the constitution by handing over power to him if the latter remains in self-isolation after 21 days.
Akeredolu has been in self-isolation after being confirmed to have contracted the virus. However, the governor, through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Donald Ojogo, on Friday, said he would not hand over to Ajayi, who had left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, reacting through his media aide, Mr. Allen Sowore, on Saturday, Ajayi stated that he had been praying for the governor to recover quickly, the constitution has to be followed, irrespective of their political differences.
Quoting Section 190(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sowore said the constitution was apposite in “these circumstances,” stressing that it must be obeyed after 21 days.
He said, “Refusal and failure of Mr. Governor to hand over the running of government to his deputy while in self-isolation and temporarily incapacitated would underscore his absolute disregard for the rule of law, spite on the people and a direct assault on the provisions of the constitution, which he swore to uphold.
“Not only that, his deliberate obstacles to ensure that government continues to run while he’s in self-isolation as a result of the fact that he has tested positive for Covid-19 puts lip service to his hypocritical war against the ravaging pandemic.
“Our candid advice is that the energy dissipated to pull down the office and person of the deputy governor should be channelled towards resolving the lingering crisis in the health sector, particularly the current strike embarked on by medical practitioners in the state in the middle of this pandemic.”
Abia
Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia state, has already recovered from Covid-19 after receiving treatment for three weeks. The governor had announced that he tested positive for the disease on June 8, but some of his supporters were worried after he failed to recover within the usual 14 days period.
But in a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for Information, John Kalu, said Ikpeazu was certified free of the disease on Friday.
“To the glory of God, repeat Covid-19 test conducted by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on samples submitted by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on Thursday, July 2, 2020, returned negative result on Friday, July 3, 2020. Governor Ikpeazu is therefore deemed free of the virus according to the extant guidelines of NCDC and the World Health Organisation (WHO),” the statement read in part.
Nevertheless, analysts are of the opinion that Abia state can be said to be truly in the hands of God, as God’s Own State, due to the fact that Ikpeazu was confirmed to be Covid-19 positive after mingling with people during the May 29 celebration of his fifth year in office.
According to an online medium, on June 11, Ikpeazu was confirmed to have diabetes on top of a kidney failure that had further complicated his coronavirus treatment, though, before his situation got worse, he was said to have made attempts to be flown abroad, but the restriction on international flights ban in many countries around the world and his positive status of the virus put paid to that move.
The news of Ikpeazu recovering broke a few hours after David Umahi, his Ebonyi counterpart, tested positive for the disease.
Symptomatic
While many patients show symptoms of infection and thereafter go into self-isolation, others show no symptoms, despite being positive and, therefore, spread the infection among loyalists and acquaintances.
On Saturday last week, the Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, tested positive for the virus alongside some close aides, but in a statement he said he was not showing any symptoms of the disease. He, however, isolated himself in line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols.
“I have directed my deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe, to coordinate the state’s fight against the disease, but citizens should take the NCDC protocols seriously. I am currently working from ‘home’ and will be conducting all meetings virtually,” he said in a statement.
Umahi, on July 2, while swearing in new Executive Council (Exco) members among other appointees, had announced that he was expecting his second Covid-19 test result on July 3 and would make it public, adding that he had directed all those who worked in the state’s 2020 budget review team to “immediately undergo Covid-19 test.”
He said further that he had earlier tested negative for the virus from a test conducted after a hectic adaptation to the state’s newly introduced accounting system in March.
“We are finalising the state’s budget review as required by the World Bank and after such hard work, most of us ‘broke down’ and are being treated of malaria.”
There are fears that the governor may have infected almost all his cabinet members whom he came in contact with, and who would then spread to unsuspecting Ebonyians, since they were not showing symptoms.
Disturbingly, pictures and videos of Umahi taking a leisurely stroll somewhere in the state, alongside some of his political appointees, started trending on social media on Sunday, with many residents claiming that the governor “is deliberately trying to infect as many people as possible; hence his refusal to stay in an isolation centre.”
However, there was no official reaction from the state government on the trending pictures and videos as at the time of filing in this report.
Delta
Just fear days after Governor Rotimi Akeredolu tested positive, his counterpart in Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife, Edith, also tested positive. In fact, there was palpable fear at the Government House in Asaba on the development as almost all the offices at the Government House were shut. Workers were said to have abandoned their offices for safety, leaving only the security personnel behind.
It was gathered that the first family contracted the infection despite obeying Covid-19 protocols, indicating the state was in danger.
“Almost all the offices have been shut down; workers are afraid as the key components of the government have tested positive. These are those who have been observing the Covid-19 protocol, yet they still contracted it, meaning all of us are not safe.”
However, the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr. Olise Ifeajika, said the Government House was not shut down. He said, “SSG, the commissioner for information are in isolation centres; so, the only person, who speaks now is me and what I said today is the position of government. We have not shut down Government House. Any government official who goes for test is for them to know their status.
“Governor is not sick; that he tested positive does not make him sick. He is stable and responding to treatment. Even the SSG, in his confinement, handled few things. It is not a death sentence.”
Meanwhile, the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, had prayed for the quick recovery of Okowa and his wife, especially as the governor was seen in Edo state during the PDP primaries, defying Covid-19 protocols.
In a statement, Obaseki said, “The governor (Okowa) has been at the forefront of the Covid-19 fight in Delta State and we know that he may have contracted the virus on the line of duty, serving the good people of Delta state. I know the governor to be a man of faith and we trust that he would get well soon to continue on his enviable development trajectory in the state.”
Similarly, members of the Delta state caucus in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, in a get-well-quick message signed by the minority leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu; chairman of the Delta House of Representatives caucus, Victor Nwaokolo; Nicholas Mutu; Leonard Ogor; Nicholas Ossai; Julius Pondi; Efe Afe; Ben Igbakpa; Thomas Ereyitomi, and Francis Waive, pledged their support and prayers for the governor and his family.
They urged the family to be strong and remarked that being tested positive to Covid-19 was not by any way a death sentence.
Turbulent times
As the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the world, few days ago, one of the defunct PSquare duo, Peter Okoye, on June 27 confirmed testing positive for infection alongside his daughter and wife, Lola Omotayo Okoye; who subsequently released a video to confirm her experience as she battled the deadly virus.
Lola, a mother of two, in a minute-long video, confirmed that she, her daughter, and her husband tested positive for the virus, saying the experience was terrible, but thanked friends and family who reached out to her during her trying period.
She said: “I want to thank my doctor Dr. Ayo who took good care of me, my family, and staff. I want to thank everyone who reached out to us during this terrible Covid-19 experience. My dear friends and family, thank you so much for your love. Your phone calls and prayers helped me and my family to recover faster.
“The grace of God is upon my family and I am so grateful to God Almighty. My love and prayers are with those currently battling this disease, you are not alone. We will continue to pray for your healing. For those who lost loved ones, we pray for you too my heart bleeds for your loss.
An expert’s take
In an interview with Blueprint Weekend, an Abuja based medical doctor, Bello Musa, said that dignitaries, including state governors, celebrities and politicians, are not helping in the fight against Covid-19 by hiding their status and often times ignorantly infecting those they come in contact with.
“It can still be remembered how Naira Marley took everyone for a ride to mingle with FCT residents and fans at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and interstate ban, triggering off a saga unprecedented at this particular time. Who knows his health status, as he has not come out in the open like Peter Okoye and other celebrities across the country?
“Coming to politicians, did you notice that they were more concerned with politicking than obeying protocols? In Ondo, Akeredolu says he is positive, but has refused to hand over to his deputy, does it make sense that he will be coming in contact with many people while running the affairs of the state? That is the danger they pose to helpless Nigerians.
“Again, many of the governors, including Akeredolu and Umahi of Ebonyi state, confirmed that they are asymptomatic, do you know what that means? It means they have infected hundreds of others even without knowing it. Do you now see the precarious situation and danger these politicians are exposing citizens to?
“It is not as if the virus is a death sentence, so why hide your status for long and go on infecting others until you can’t help it anymore? Honestly, we have a long way to go in this country. Only God will help us with these politicians.”
