COVID-19 has finally has made a strong entrance into a South Eastern Governor’s life.
Naija News NG can confirm that Abia State Governor,Okezie Ikpeazu , is the first Igbo Governor to test positive to COVID-19 .
The heartbreaking news was announced on Monday, June 8 by Abia State Commissioner for Information, Okiyi Kalu. Kalu said Governor Ikpeazu went into into self-isolation before his test result returned and had directed the Deputy Governor to take charge of state affairs until he recovers.
Naija News NG gathered that Ikpeazu had on Sunday, May 30, 2020 offered his sample for Coronavirus test and demanded that members of the state Executive Council , EXCO and members of the internal ministerial committee on COVID-19 do same.
On June 2, the governor tested negative but when another sample was submitted, it returned positive.
Kalu wrote :
”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.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 260 new Coronavirus cases in Nigeria in a tweet on the micro-blogging site, Twitter on Sunday evening, June 7, of 260 cases, Coronavirus in Abia state hit 67.
