It’s no longer news that the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, tested positive for the pandemic, COVID-19, that is ravaging the world. But the ripples it has generated in Bauchi should make a lot of government functionaries, Emirs, VPIs and others go into quarantine.
WuzupNigeria reports that Governor Mohammed, on Monday, announced that he is in self-isolation following contact with the son of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Atiku’s son had earlier that day tested positive for the disease.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed by the National Center for Disease Control [NCDC] that the governor has been infected.
Worthy of note is the fact that the governor recently returned from an official trip in Lagos where he met with Atiku’s son in the Aero Contractors Aircraft and they shook hands. He returned to the state on Friday evening [20 March 2020] and flagged off the construction of 2,500 housing units on Saturday at Dungal Village, along Bauchi-Jos road.
Present at that event were the Deputy Governor, Sen. Baba Tela; the Secretary to the state government, Sabi’u Baba; the Chief of Staff Government House; the Managing Director, Family Homes Funds Limited, Femi Adewale; Ambassador Adamu Jumba, who represented the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed.
Other dignitaries at the event included Emirs of Bauchi, Dass, Ningi, Members of the State Executive Council, the Deputy Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, among others.
The Governor also chaired a Stakeholders Engagement and Update Meeting which held at the Council Chamber of the Government House Bauchi on Sunday.
Those in attendance at the meeting included the Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela, Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, his Deputy, Dallami Kawule, members of the Bauchi State Executive Council, State Chief Judge, Rabi Talatu Umar, State Grand Khadi, Dahiru Ningi, and the Emirs of Bauchi, Misau, Ningi and Dass.
The Heads of Security Agencies including the Nigerian Army, DSS, Police, NSCDC, members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, Religious and Community leaders, were also in attendance.
The Commissioner of Health in Bauchi state, Dr. Aliyu Maigoro, who briefed journalists on Monday evening said members of the Governor’s family have gone into self-isolation in order to contain any fear of spreading the deadly coronavirus in the state.
He added that no fewer than 10 people including Commissioners who travelled with the Governor on a flight from Lagos to Bauchi have also gone into self-isolation.
Maigoro said that the blood samples of all the members of the families of the Governor and the other 10 people have been taken and are being tested to confirm their status.
He added that he would brief the press within the next 24 hours, on the outcome of the briefing of the result.
But Gidado, in a media statement made available on Tuesday, said that the Governor’s result was one of six initial tests carried out by the Center for Disease Control (NCDC).
He said:
“This is to inform the general public that the result of the six initial tests carried out by the Center for Disease Control on His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed, his family and aides that accompanied him to Lagos is out.
” Of the six initial tests carried out, one sample was confirmed to be positive of COVID-19. The positive result happened to be that of His Excellency, Senator Bala 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 National Center for Disease Control have taken full charge of his quarantine.”
The Media Aide said that the Governor solicits for prayers from all and requests that all those who had contact with him or anyone known to have the same medical condition to go for the test immediately in order to avert further spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.
