Press Statements
Office of The Chairman,
National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Kogi State Chapter
29th April, 2020.
COVID-19: We Won’t Hesitate To Hold You Responsible Should Kogi Record Any Positive Case of Corona Virus and We Demand That Dr. Ihekweazu Apologizes to Gov. Bello for Careless Statements as We Sue for Commendations of Kogi State Government for Being Proactive Against The Spread of Corona Virus- Kogi NYCN Boss Comr. Alonge Tells NCDC.*
The Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Kogi State Chapter, Comrade Alonge Femi, has expressed disappointment in the statements of the Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu concerning the present status of Kogi State not having any positive record of Corona Virus.
According to Dr. Ihekweazu, Cross River, Kogi, Nasarawa and Yobe States are the only States yet to record any number of patients testing positive to Corona Virus and the truth is that these States cannot hide the existence of Corona Virus from their States.
Comrade Alonge described the statements of the NCDC boss as careless and unexpected from such a body established to help fight against diseases in the country.
“Why would Dr. Ihekweazu make such statements knowing fully well that the government of Kogi State has been working hard to ensure that necessary measures are put in place to halt the spread of this dreadful virus in the State? This is uncalled for and highly unacceptable”.
The Chairman who expressed his dissatisfactions with the utterances of the NCDC boss through his Chief Press Secretary, Jacob Abraham, sued for the commendation of Kogi State Governor His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello and his Covid-19 Squadron ably chaired by his amiable deputy His Excellency Chief Edward David Onoja and other members of the administration by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Government for ensuring that proactive precautionary measures are put in place to help fight against the spread of this Virus in the State.
It is necessary to educate Dr. Ihekweazu that as at today, samples sent by the Federal Medical Center, Lokoja, has all tested negative to Corona Virus as confirmed by the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital.
” I am forced by the statements of Dr Ihekweazu to ask if he has ulterior motives to proclaim that Corona Virus will surely emerge in Kogi State amidst all efforts put in place by the State government “
We will be forced to hold the NCDC Boss responsible should we eventually record any case of Corona Virus in Kogi State and this is borne out of the implications of his utterances to the State.
We are well informed that the government of Kogi State under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello has put in place three well equipped isolation centres in the state, gone ahead to develop an application and has recruited people to help those who are not literate to accelerate testing whenever the need arises.
The Chairman stressed that in a period of trials like this, with the efforts of Kogi State Government to maintain stability and high tempo in the health and security of citizens, commendation is what the governor and his team deserves and not uttering of careless statements that carries prophecies rather than the revelation of scientific reality.
According to Comrade Alonge, ordinarily, Kogi State government could have decided to play politics with this pandemic by declaring invisible numbers of positive results of Corona Virus in the State with the undoubted assurance that this will attract funds from the Federal Government, International and other reputable Non Governmental Organizations but for the purpose of sincerity and truth alongside priority to the defence of citizens’ health security, the government has remained committed to being truthful and honest by not declaring what does not exist in the state.
“It is an obvious truth that Kogi Borders no fewer than 8 States including the Federal Capital territory which almost all of them has recorded positive results of Corona Virus but to the glory of God, Kogi State is still free from this pandemic. This is not a practical display of terrestrial powers, but is an evidence of God’s Grace and an applaudable level of preparedness from the state government to have put precautionary measures beforehand.”
On behalf of the Youths of Kogi State, I am calling on Dr. Ihekweazu to retract his negative statements and apologize to the people of Kogi State. It is crystal that the NCDC boss would rather prefer to act on hearsay than go scientific in his research.
“Unless NCDC boss intends to plant the existence of Corona Virus into Kogi State, he should tender apologies to us and further applaud the commendable efforts of the State Government in halting the spread of the virus into the state”.
Comrade Alonge further prayed that Corona Virus will have no place of convenience in Kogi State and that in no distant time, the pandemic will be a thing of the past in the world.
Signed:
Jacob Abraham Damilare,
Chief Press Secretary
To the Chairman,
National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN
Kogi State Chapter.
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