Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
As the novel Coronavirus disease continues its devastating ravage across the world, the Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello has declared that the disease is not new in this clime. This Follows months of denial that the disease does not exist in the State.
The Governor was speaking on Thursday while playing host to the Board of trustees of Sir Amadu Bello Memorial Foundation who paid him a courtesy call in his Lugard House office in Lokoja.
“Let us stop this game, Nigerians are suffering, instead of the lockdown with its attendant negative effects on the people. Why can’t we turn it to employment opportunities, providing clothes for face mask to be imported to those countries who have the disease.” He said.
According to him, ”Covid19 is not a new disease in our climate. We have our own way of treating it. That is what we should be exploiting rather than subjecting our people to hardship, hunger and starvation through lockdown.”
He said that it was wrong for anyone to attribute the death of late Chief Judge of Kogi state, Justice Nasir Ajana to Covid-19. He disclosed that the legal luminary had been managing his health since 2016 adding that the complications that eventually led to his death was as a result of his inability to access medical attention due to the lockdown.
“We know his medical history. He was my brother. We know we have been managing him since 2016. But this time, he was completely isolated. No one was allowed to even speak to him until he passed away. We cannot afford to be playing games with lives of Nigerians. This must stop.’ The Governor added.
He warned politicians to stop playing further games with the lives of the people.
Earlier, the Secretary to the board, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau who led the delegation had presented 30,000 facemasks to the government and people of the state as well as flagged off public awareness advocacy against rape and other forms of gender based violence in Nigeria.
The Foundation called on states to strengthen their legislation with stiffer penalties to perpetrators of these heinous acts.