Gov. Yahaya Bello

Those who hoped that the imposition and commencement of lockdown in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State over two index cases of the Coronavirus disease will mark an end to the hostility between the State Government and the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC may need to reexamine their opinion. Rather than a ceasefire, the verbal tirade has continued.

Things degenerated Wednesday when the state government issued a public advisory warning people of the state against accessing healthcare services at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Lokoja.

Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information and Communication gave the warning at the end of the weekly State executive council meeting in Lokoja. He said the FMC has “become an incubation point for breeding false COVID-19 cases.”

Fanwo accused the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC of planning to bring “compromised machines to FMC Lokoja.” 

“The machine the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC are bringing to Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja has been programmed to record positive Covid-19 cases only. Their sample collection materials have been infected with Covid-19.

“Both the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC are not trusted and we have every reason not to ever believe their commercial efforts against Covid-19. The people should know that NCDC is desperate to attack the people of Kogi State with Coronavirus at all cost. But the Government of Kogi State will defend her people. Our people should not panic. Government is on top of the situation,” he said.

The Chief Medical Director of FMC Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, could not be reached to react to the allegations.

Meanwhile the people of Kabba-Bunu are learning a new way of life and practicing how to stay indoors without the usual neighbourly checks. On the first of the lockdown Wednesday, Kabba town was like a ghost town.

The streets were completely devoid of human and vehicular traffic. Few persons sat in front of their houses while others fearfully peapped from their windows.