Kogi State Government has alleged plans to ‘import’ cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) into the state as it is yet to officially record a case of the deadly disease.
Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said in a statement on Tuesday that there were “attempts to import the disease or declare fictitious cases”.
The government said it would not manufacture cases to satisfy the expectations of health officials whom it said were putting the state under pressure to declare the presence of the disease.
The statement addressed the call by a female expatriate who sent message to the Kogi State COVID-19 Squadron Committee, expressing fears that she was exhibiting symptoms similar to those of COVID-19.
Mr Fanwo said the Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna, who is also the state’s incident officer, led a team to the expatriate who reportedly told them that the symptoms had disappeared.
“The Incident Officer still went ahead to take her temperature using the recommended infrared thermometer and her temperature was at a healthy 36.8°C,” he said.
“The temperature readings fell totally within normal range and she did not exhibit any of the other symptoms which by the latest NCDC guidelines ought to have paired her nonexistent fever to necessitate further tests for COVID-19.
“Curiously, the said individual still insisted that her case be escalated to the NCDC for CoviD-19 testing.”
Fanwo added: “The Kogi State Government is genuinely suspicious of the motive behind her insistence, especially as we strongly suspect there are attempts to import the disease or declare fictitious cases in Kogi State.
“In view of the fact that Kogi State is one of only two states still CoviD-19 free in Nigeria and having regard to recent pressures from some interesting quarters for Kogi State to find and declare cases of the disease, we are wary of an unholy conspiracy to declare COVID-19 in all states of the federation.
“It is therefore pertinent to note that while the Kogi State Government will never conceal any real case of the novel coronavirus disease if it occurs in the state, she will adhere strictly to NCDC guidelines to vehemently resist all attempts to manufacture false figures or cases of COVID-19 in Kogi State.”
