The Kogi state government says its self-assessment app has
been effective in checking for COVID-19 cases in the state.
Kogi, Yobe and Cross River are the three states yet to
record any case of COVID-19.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC), said the states had not sent enough samples for tests.
The NCDC chief also said the virus would spread to all the
states in the country.
But Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi’s commissioner for information, in
a statement on Tuesday, said the state considers Ihekweazu’s comment as unfair
and an attempt to shame it.
“The governor of Kogi state does not believe that increasing
the burden on the overwhelmed NCDC and the other agencies cum resources
labouring in the frontlines of our response to this deadly pandemic, when
neither case nor cause for such has genuinely risen in the state, is helping the
country in any way,” the statement read.
“Kogi state has religiously followed all the NCDC and World
Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 advisories, both for identifying cases and
preventing spread.
“We have also adhered strictly to the various guidelines
from, and directives of, the federal government, customised to improve both
efficiency and efficacy within the peculiarities of our own circumstances.
“While we are not surprised that they have worked for us so
far in keeping our state COVID-19 free, we do find it disconcerting that the
lead agency in the fight is possibly expressing doubt in their efficacy while
simultaneously denouncing us for following her own guidelines.
“In fact, we built our self-assessment app hosted at
kogicovid19.gov.ng around the NCDC’s checklist for ‘suspected and high risk’
cases and as at last week it has been visited nearly 200,000 times with over
14,000 completed self-assessments out of which only about 60 presented cause
for further investigation which then failed to meet the COVID-19
spectrum.”
The state said, as of Tuesday, it has no confirmed case of
COVID-19 or any case to the knowledge of its ”vigilant medical structures”.
It said not every state in Nigeria must record cases of
COVID-19, considering that not even China, the origin and for a while the
epicentre of the outbreak, had cases of the disease in every province.
The state said it is not hiding any COVID-19 case as being
speculated.
“We sincerely hope the NCDC and Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu will
quickly come out to repudiate or retract those dangerous comments (whichever is
applicable) in order to minimise damage to the mutuality of trust and
cooperation which we need to continue working together through this pandemic.”
it added.
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