Some residents of Bauchi on Tuesday say they received with shock, news of Gov. Bala Mohammad of Bauchi State testing positive to the deadly coronavirus disease.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that people gathered in groups discussing the incident, most of them wearing ‘long faces’.
Few people, who reluctantly spoke with NAN on their feelings, on condition of anonymity, said the news was devastating and shocking.
They said it should now become clear to those in doubt that the threat of COVID-19 is no longer a case of ‘tales by the moonlight’ but ‘reality’.
“We pray for his recovery and that of others that tested positive; as our governor, he is doing very well and God will protect him,” said some of the respondents.
They applauded the measures taken by the governor that culminated into discovering that he had the virus.
According to them, only God knows the number of people that would have been affected through contacts with him.
Some of them who spoke called for thorough scrutiny of the aides of the governor to ascertain their status.
In his reaction, Mr Abdullahi Yelwa, a lecturer at the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, said it was worrisome to have the number person in the state affected.
According to him, when the head is sick, the entire body is sick because we need the governor to be on his feet to rescue others.
He urged people of the state to take all precautionary measures and advice from health experts so as to contain the virus.
Also, another resident of Bauchi, Mr Bunmi Adetoye, said the fear of the virus among the citizens of the state had increased.
NAN reports that the governor decided to isolate himself on March 23, following contacts with Mohammed Atiku, son to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had been confirmed to be having the virus.
Blood samples of the governor, along with six others were taken for investigation and the outcome of the tests released March 24 indicated that the governor had contracted the deadly virus.
Malam Muktar Gidado, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media, revealed the outcome of the test in a statement.
“This is to inform the general public that the result of the six initial tests carried out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on His Excellency, Gov. Bala Mohammed, his family and aides that accompanied him to Lagos is out.
“Of the six initial tests carried out, one sample was confirmed positive of COVID -19.
“The positive result happened to be that of His Excellency, Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State.
“At this point, it should be noted that the Governor is in self-isolation as his doctors and officials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have taken full charge of his quarantine,” Gidado said.
Spokesman said that the state governor solicited for prayers from all and requested that all those who had contact with him or any one known to have the same medical condition, to go for a test immediately in order to avert further spread of the virus.