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  • Abia state governor tests positive for COVID-19

    Abia state governor tests positive for COVID-19

    Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia state, has tested positive for COVID-19.

    John Okiyi Kalu, commissioner of information in the state, announced the case in a statement on Monday.

    He said the governor had gone into isolation before his result returned positive, and that he has directed the deputy governor to act on his behalf pending the time he resumes duty.

    ”Recall that on Saturday, 30th May, 2020, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and subsequently directed members of the state Executive Council (EXCO) and those of the inter ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test. On Tuesday, 2nd June, 2020. Tthe result of Governor Ikpeazu’s test returned negative,” he said.

    ”On Thursday, 4th June, 2020, the Governor submitted another sample at NCDC laboratory for confirmation and the result returned positive.

    ”As a result, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has gone into isolation, as required by relevant NCDC protocols, and he is being managed by a competent team of medical practitioners with a view to nursing him back to good health.

    ”Consequent on the above, the Governor has directed his Deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, to act on his behalf pending his full resumption of duties.

    ”We wish to urge all Abians to take the fight against COVID-19 serious as the disease is real but not a death sentence. Our state has the resources to manage patients back to good health.”

    Ikpeazu is the fourth governor to contract the coronavirus – after Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi.

    In March, the governor said COVID-19 would not afflict Abia because the state is mentioned in the Bible.

    “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. And I hold on to God’s promise,” he said.

    “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.”

    The commissioner of environment in the state had died, though it was not confirmed he died of COVID-19. But some members of the immediate family of the deceased commissioner tested positive for the disease.

  • Covid-19:Abia commences production of masks, protective medical kits – Hart

    Covid-19:Abia commences production of masks, protective medical kits – Hart

    Abia Government said it has started production of certified quality standard protective medical kits and masks to carter for the needs of Nigerians and bridge the scarcity of imported ones.

    Mr Sam Hart, the Director-General, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba on Saturday.

    He said that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu initiated the project to ensure Abia people were not exploited during this period but were protected from the ravaging COVID-19 infections.

    “The governor does not want Abia people to be exploited and that was part of the reason he gave this challenge to Aba tailors to start producing these kits.

    “Apart from meeting national demand, he is also interested in meeting local demand so that the people of Abia can have these masks and kits available.

    “That is why he provided support for the tailors, held a meeting with them, and released initial funds for them to start production even before orders started coming.

    “That is the foresight that moved us to where we are today that everybody is now coming to pick them up; we have more than enough and they are available everywhere”, Hart said.

    The DG said that buyers could get the products at pharmacies, chemist shops, supermarkets and other places.

    He said that his agency was handling the distribution of the products on wholesale basis by buying up available products from the producers to ensure they get money to continue production.

    Hart said that the state sourced the raw materials used locally and abroad, stressing that the state has the capacity to meet any quantity demanded across Nigeria.

    “On the specifications required, we have also gotten medical practitioners to look at what we do.

    “They have looked at it, told us what to do which we also implemented and they have certified it.

    “Orders are coming from Kaduna, Lagos and Enugu and other states and for our production capacity, it depends on the orders we get.

    “As we get more orders, we upscale production through involvement of more hands,” he said.(NAN)