By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Staff of Akwa Ibom Government House are now living in palpable fear following the growing spread of the virus in their offices.
Recall that 16 members of the government House Press Corps last month tested positive to the virus and were all relocated to the isolation centre at the Ibom Specialist Hospital for treatment.
Other journalists who had contacts with members of the press corps were duly followed up for a period of two weeks.
Anonymous sources at the Government House told newsmen on Monday that Governor Udom Emmanuel, moved by the effect of the virus within the press corps ordered a for aggressive testing of other units within the government house.
“It should shock you that within two days we recorded 17 and 18 cases respectively. Both domestic staff, protocol, security and others working in government house were; on the order of His Excellency subjected to test, and most of them turned out positive”. He said
The source expressed concerns that the increasing rate of infected persons within the government house, to a very great extent, revealed how unsafe the entire state could be.
“These ones are close to the Governor and have the opportunity to be tested and treated, what happens to those who have no such opportunity? Our people may just begin to die massively. We need to do more testing, we need to test those are are not close to the corridors of power”. He said
A broadcaster in the state was arrested and detained for alleging that nine Commissioners in the state were infected with Covid-19 prompting Governor Udom Emmanuel to parade all his Commissioners before newsmen to falsify the broadcaster’s claims.
The government house source in reaction to such experience expressed sadness and querried, “members of the press corps throughout the lockdown worked closely with members of the state executive council, how then did most of them test positive to Covid-19 if the people they worked closely with were as clean as claimed”.
The state commissioner for informationam Mr Charles Udoh, when contacted did not deny that more staff of the Government House could have tested positive to Covid-19.
Udoh however said that key persons in the State Incidence Management Committee and principal staff of the Government House have not tested positive.
“Ekerette Udoh, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor is not positive, the Secretary to the State Government is not positive and these are the people that we meet everyday.
“Dr Akpabio, the Governor’s personal physician and Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, the Permanent Secretary Government House are not positive and as far as I am concerned, no commmissioner is positive.” He said
