BREAKING: Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Governor of Abia State, Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Reports reaching the NIGERIAN HEALTH BLOG can authoritatively confirm that the Governor of Abia State has tested positive for COVID-19
The governor who was said to have been showing symptoms of coronavirus in the past 3 weeks, on Saturday, May 30, 2020 submitted himself for the test and was said to be free of the virus as the result returned negative.
However, two days later Ikpeazu again submitted himself for another test which returned positive.
Announcing this in Umuahia at the early hours of Monday, June 8, 2020, the Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu said the Abia State chief executive was in high spirit because “he’s being managed by medical experts who are handling his case expertly”.
Okiyi Kalu, while confirming the incident to the Daily Independent on Monday, stated that the governor is currently in isolation and that he had already handed the reins of leadership of the state to his deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu.
“I want to assure the people of this state that there’s no cause for alarm, no need to panic. Your governor is in high spirit. It’s important I let this information out to make all of us know that COVID-19 is real”, Okiyi Kalu added.
He however disclosed that business of government will continue as usual, adding that members of the state executive council whose results were returned negative have been directed to resume duties fully and continue to offer quality governance to the people.
Dr Okezie Ikpeazu came under social media rage in March 2020 when during a video interview, boasted that Abia and its peoples are exempted or at best immune from the coronavirus pandemic because the state was mentioned in the bible.
As at the time of filling this report, Abia state has a total of 83 persons infected with coronavirus according to the NCDC.
