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General News of Monday, 29 March 2021

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Why I took my coronavirus vaccine quietly - Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has confirmed taking the COVID-19 vaccination, dispelling insinuations that he refused to take the jab.

Wike also said ahead of the resumption of international flights at the Port Harcourt Airport, the government would dissolve the tribunal set up to prosecute violators of COVID-19 protocol if federal authorities tried to influence the outcome of cases.

The governor, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, spoke yesterday when the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 delegation, led by the National Incident Manager, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

He said: “Some people said that I did not take my vaccine. I did, but am not into public shows. Taking a vaccine is not undertaking any project for anybody to see that you have taken a vaccine.

“It has turned to politics. Assuming what I am taking is not the vaccine? Yes, I can pretend and then they will put it on the news that I have taken the vaccine.

“Nigerian likes to play politics in everything. They will call the press, Governor this has taken, Governor that has taken. But let them not tell you that I have not taken it. I did my own in the Government House Clinic quietly. So I don’t need to begin to announce it to the world.”

Wike warned that the state would not hesitate to dissolve the tribunal if federal authorities attempted to influence the outcome of any given case before the tribunal.

The governor lauded the PTF Chairman, Mr Boss Mustapha and members of his team for the good job they had done in containing the spread of COVID-19 that has kept the world on its toes.

He explained that the N1bn given to Rivers State by the PTF was managed by the Commissioner for Health and the State government was prepared to account for the fund.

He said: "We are not people who collect money from the task force and divert it. We are not a party to that. We are ready to give an account any day, anytime because that money is public funds”, he said.

Wike announced that work would immediately commence on the VIP lounge of the Port Harcourt International Airport and the job was expected to be completed within six months.

PTF National Incident Manager, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, applauded Wike for tackling the pandemic head-on right from the first index case in the state.

He said: “Rivers State is one of the states that have been consistent in terms of testing. Many of the states that started testing have fallen back and we see different projections. They will test this week, next week they will go down, but Rivers has been very consistent in terms of testing.

“As of last week, Rivers has tested about 140,000 persons. You have diagnosed almost 7,000 cases of COVID-19 and the good thing is that over 92 per cent of those who were COVID-19 positive have all recovered from the illness.”

Muhammad explained that ahead of the planned resumption of international flights at the Port Harcourt airport, the PTF had to visit the state to ensure all COVID-19 protocol measures were in place.

He enjoined the state government to arrange for a hotel that would be used as a health facility and negotiate for a rate that should be affordable for any passenger to pay.

He said: “We need to identify a health facility which is a hotel where people who do not comply with the protocol will be kept for a period of about eight days pending which they will be tested for COVID-19 and if they are negative, they will be allowed to go, but if they are positive, we will keep them in isolation facility.”

The PTF requested the state government to help beef up security at the airport and quarantine facility so that suspected cases would not escape and endanger the health of the public.

Citing the recent Health Protection Regulation order, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, which empowers state government and security agencies to arrest and prosecute people who violate the COVID-19 protocol, the PTF urged Wike to set up a tribunal that would handle cases of persons who jumped quarantine.

“COVID-19 is something that we are all  determined to work hard to limit the spread of and ensure many people in our states receive vaccination and develop immune to resist the disease”, he said