COVID-19: Kogi govt threatens to sue PTF, NCDC

By Peter Usman/:

Kogi State government has said that it would not watch and allow the Presidential Task Force, PTF on COVID-19 create panic in the state and scare away investors.

The state government stated that it may be forced to take legal action against the PTF and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC if these bod­ies continue to harass and de-market the state against genuine investors.

It also recalled the reports that Governor Yahaya Bello was doing nothing about fighting COVID-19 because it believed it didn’t exist were false and unfounded.

Kogi State Commissioner for Infor­mation and Communications, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, who revealed this said the PTF – in concert with the NCDC – were desperate to create a picture of health crisis in the state.

The PTF had on Monday declared Kogi State a ‘high risk state’ for allegedly re­fusing to acknowledge the existence of COVID-19, not reporting testing, and not having isolation centres.

It also warned Nigerians to be wary of visiting the state.

Speaking further on the situation, Fanwo said the statement by the PTF was an attack on the people of Kogi State by attempting to infect the state with fear and anxiety, a situation, he said, the govern­ment would not accept.

He said having emerged the investment destination in Nigeria in the third quarter of 2020, based on the report by the Nigerian Investment Pro­motion Commission, NIPC, the PTF was desperate to crip­ple the economy of Kogi State by raising false alarm that it had a high risk of COVID-19 cases.

The Commissioner said, “Despite their unreliable figures, Kogi emerged the in­vestment destination of Nige­ria in the last quarter of 2020.

“They felt embarrassed and the best way to hit back is to create a picture of health crisis in the state.”

Explaining how the state government had put more efforts in fighting the disease, Fanwo said Kogi State was the first to procure thousands of face masks which was distributed free of charge to residents of the state.

He also noted that Kogi State had done more sensitisation on the disease more than any other state across the country.

“We were the first state to procure face masks in thou­sands and distribute to all the LGAs.

“We were the first state to set up a Squadron Team to combat the spread of the pandemic. We set up isolation centres with state-of-the-art equipment.

“We have done sensiti­sation more than any other state. So, if we don’t believe COVID-19 exists, we won’t be doing all we are doing to ensure it doesn’t ravage our state.

“What we said and are still saying is that COVID-19 is not worth all the marketing going on just for a few to make bil­lions.

“That we do not have to suf­fer innocent Nigerians while a few smile to the banks, that we can’t afford a deeper reces­sion as a country.

“The cases reported in Kogi were fraudulent. So, how do we believe the NCDC?

“They have given us every reason to see them as people not working in the interest of public good. Their data is unreliable and they are incon­sistent.

“We are fine in Kogi and do not accept their scaremonger­ing. It was an attempt to intim­idate our state, scare investors away and cause unnecessary panic.

“It is an attack on the good people of Kogi State and we will defend our people against the merchants of fear and de­spair.

“We won’t submit the lives and psychology of our peo­ple to those who have turned COVID-19 to business.

“The governor had advised a robust synergy between sci­ence and common sense; med­icine and governance, in or­der to combat the pandemic.

“Politicians have hijacked the process for their selfish gains. We shouldn’t play pol­itics with it.

“We won’t sit by and watch the enemies of Nigeria infect Kogi with their fear and mar­keting.

“We will not hesitate to seek legal redress against them. Kogi is safe. Investors are coming in. We are improv­ing our infrastructure and do­ing more for the people.

“What we won’t do is to join hands with them to push our people into pain and poverty. Enough is enough. We should stop punishing the poor and defenceless unnecessarily.

“Governor Yahaya Bello will not change his position on this. Why must you change from the lane of truth and in­tegrity?

“They are the people bat­tling with their conscience. They should know that pov­erty is dangerous.

“They should desist from oppressing the people of this country. They should stop de­stroying the good intentions of Mr. President.

“Anyone can aspire to be vice president, but we must not use our position to mis­represent facts and de-market our nation.

“Kogi dey kampe and un­moved by their reckless, ir­responsible, and unscientific claims. Nigerians do not be­lieve the NCDC anymore.

“They have closed feed back avenue on their Twitter. They are afraid of the truth.

“The samples they col­lected from Kogi, where are they? They are deceiving this nation. We won’t join that, even in the face of threat and intimidation” Fanwo said.