As COVID-19 was trying to get its grip on the country and other states were putting structures and adopting initiatives to limit the spread of virus in about three months ago, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, assured his people that there is nothing to worry about.
The Governor told his people that similar diseases like Ebola had evaded the State in the past, and there is no need to fret about the new pandemic.
The State is special to God, the Governor said: “Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases will touch God’s people. And I hold on to God’s promise.
“We saw Ebola, it did not get to us. We saw monkey pox, it didn’t get to us. Even this one (coronavirus) will also pass us by.”
Well, the Governor has been forced to eat his words as many in his State had since tested positive to the virus.
On Sunday, Abia leads the table of the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 67 infections.
Among the new cases, as confirmed by John Okiyi Kalu, Abia commissioner for information was the governor who had now gone into isolation and has handed over the affairs of the State to his deputy.
The Governor’s journey to isolation started on Saturday, 30th May, 2020, when he volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and subsequently directed members of the state Executive Council (EXCO) and those of the inter ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test.
This was after it was confirmed that one of the State’s Commissioners who died after “a brief illness,” actually succumbed to Coronavirus.
But the result of the first test released on Tuesday, 2nd June, 2020 returned negative.
On Thursday, 4th June, 2020, the Governor submitted another sample to NCDC laboratory for confirmation and the result returned positive.
”As a result, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has gone into isolation, as required by relevant NCDC protocols, and he is being managed by a competent team of medical practitioners with a view to nursing him back to good health.
”Consequent on the above, the Governor has directed his Deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, to act on his behalf pending his full resumption of duties.
”We wish to urge all Abians to take the fight against COVID-19 serious as the disease is real but not a death sentence. Our state has the resources to manage patients back to good health,” the Information Commissioner said.
The Abia State Governor is the fourth State Chief executive to contract coronavirus in Nigeria.
Governors Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi also contracted the virus and survived it.
The prayer is that Ikpeazu will also beat the virus.