Thread by @fisayosoyombo

Okezie Ikpeazu, Governor of Abia State, is COVID-1+ve but he’s hiding it. He claims to b -ve but he has been secretly receiving treatment in Abuja since last week.

I’m writing this because this secrecy has implications for the people of Abia State.
#fisayoscovid19series
1/11

As you may already be aware, Solomon Ogunji, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, died on May 23 at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH).
2/11

What you may not know is that contrary to the official announcement that he died “after a brief illness related to high blood pressure”, COVID-19 was indeed the cause. If there’s any proof of that, it is how, following Ogunji’s death, the Governor, his family...
3/11

...and some of his aides underwent COVID-19 tests.

Mind you, the late Ogunji was not just a commissioner, the chaired the state’s task force on COVID-19. He was also arguably the closest cabinet member to the Gov whom he had been friends with since their sec school days.
4/11

Governor Ikpeazu was still claiming his result was negative when he fell ill and started receiving treatment at the presidential lodge in Umuahia.

With his condition failing to improve, my Abuja sources say, he was moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)...
5/11

I know you want to ask me: why would Ikpeazu lie about his status when he isn’t the first Governor to contract the virus? Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna announced theirs yet outlasted the virus, didn’t they? Many reasons, maybe, but I know two of them.
6/11

1.Ikpeazu was abroad when COVID-19 started to rage and by the time he returned, he was advised to self-isolate but he didn’t. Even though that was a long time ago, he knows any admission of being COVID-19-positive will likely fetch him some backlash.
7/11

2. Shortly after his arrival, he attended a Facebook live chat with Onyebuchi Ememanka, his Chief Press Secretary, during which he said: “Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases will touch God’s people...
8/11

"And I hold on to God’s promise.

“We saw Ebola; it did not get to us. We saw monkey pox; it didn’t get to us. Even this one [Coronavirus] will also pass us by.”
9/11

How could someone who said COVID-19 couldn’t get to his state now turn round to admit he himself had been stricken by the virus? Unfortunately, there is the more important matter of respect for the sanctity of life: if the Governor continues to hide his status...
10/11

...how can effective contact tracing be done? Here’s inviting the @NCDCgov &@Fmohnigeria to pay more attention to the need for some contact tracing in Abia. In a state where the people are known to be gregarious, even clannish, overlooking contact tracing could be costly.
11/11

*COVID-19

ADDENDUM: I see the commissioner of information has belatedly made an announcement. Apparently, it became clear the truth couldn't be hidden any longer.