Some aides of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who had earlier tested positive for Coronavirus,
on Thursday clashed with hospital staff at a private facility in Abuja where their principal is currently undergoing treatment.
Trouble started when the governor’s aides arrived the hospital facility
and insisted on accessing their principal, who had equally tested
positive for the dreaded Coronavirus, but were barred from seeing him.
The hospital management were said to have resisted their move and
assured that the governor was recovering, but all plea fell on deaf
ears. This led to few minutes of altercation including verbal exchange
between the aides and hospital staff.
A source in the hospital, who craved anonymity, said it took the
intervention of “special security force” in the nation’s capital to calm
the situation. The source, however, assured that there was no cause for
alarm.
“Yes, he (Ikpeazu) had sought treatment here some days ago and has been
at our private facility since then. He is showing signs of improvement
and recovery,” the source said.
Asked about the altercations on Thursday, the source said, “It is a case
of some overzealous aides (of the governor) who wants their principal
well at all cost. The situation is under control.”
The source, however, said the aides have since been returned to their
various facility to continue their COVID-19 treatment. They include the
governor’s Personal Assistant, Chiamaeze Nwafor, Driver and a Security
Aide.
Efforts to obtain comment from the State Commissioner for Information,
Chief John Okiyi Kalu, proved abortive. A text message sent to his known
phone line was yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this
report.
The news of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu testing positive for Coronavirus had
earlier broken the internet. Government House sources had disclosed
that the governor was being “flown out of the state for better
attention.”
Ikpeazu’s positive test result was announced on Monday in a statement
made available to journalists in Umuahia by the Abia State Commissioner
for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu.
Confirming the status of the Governor, Chief Okiyi-Kalu had said: “The
Governor confirmed that the second test carried out on his sample by the
NCDC laboratory returned a positive result.
“I wish to assure the good people of Abia State that their governor is
fighting the virus. We spoke even up to 2 a.m. this morning but he
decided that it is important to let the people know and that we also
strongly advise our people to take personal responsibility for their own
safety because COVID-19 is real and that the state has the resources to
nurse individuals who might come down with this virus back to good
health.”
Assuring that there won’t be any “lacuna in government”, owing to the
development, Kalu said the Deputy Governor (in the interim) will
continue to perform the duties of the Office of the Governor. “The
governor is being taken care of by a team of competent medics,” he
added.
The Commissioner had on Thursday reaffirmed to journalists that Governor
Ikpeazu is much better and in medical isolation. “He is receiving good
care and will soon return to work,” Chief Okiyi-Kalu reassured.
Some other Nigerian Governors, who had previously contracted COVID-19
but have since recovered include, Engr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Bala
Mohammed of Bauchi and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna States.
