Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
All things being equal, the Commissioners for Health in Kogi and Cross Rivers States may soon have their days in court over their handling of the Coronavirus disease in their respective states. They have been accused of playing politics with public health issues.
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) over the weekend disclosed plans to prosecute the Commissioners for alleged unethical conduct in the fight against the spread of the disease.
This was made known by National President of the associatuon, Prof. Innocent Ujah at a lecture to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the Peace Corps of Nigeria. Ujah said the atrocities of the two men have already been reported at the Medical and Health Council of Nigeria, by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
The renowned Professor of Medicine and a former Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research said that the posture of the two health commissioners to the national efforts to control and curtail the Covid-19 pandemic was not only worrisome but unethical.
“The truth of the matter in this country today is that Covid-19 is real. It has come and it’s throwing this nation into a big mess.
“It is a known fact today that the greatest challenge to humanity is the coronavirus. We do not need to wait till we begin to see dead bodies on our streets before we believe that the disease is with us.
“Regrettably, no age group is spared, the virus is just attacking anybody and we need to take adequate precautions to contain the virus because it may take a long time to get its vaccine,” he said.
This Day reports that the NMA president commended the federal government for opting out of this year’s WAEC examination, adding that it will be a national tragedy to allow innocent children to be infected by the dreaded disease.
Ujah also praised the Peace Corps of Nigeria for its active support to the federal government in the fight against Covid-19 and called on other youth-based organisations in the country to emulate the corps
It would be recalled that since the outbreak of the pandemic, authorities in Kogi and Cross River States have bluntly denied presence of the virus in their states.