Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has confirmed taking the COVID-19 vaccination, dispelling the rumour that he refused to take the vaccine.
This was as the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 confirmed that 140,000 persons have been tested for the dreaded coronavirus in the last week.
Wike disclosed that ahead of the resumption of international flights at the Port Harcourt Airport, the State government would dissolve the tribunal set up to prosecute violators of COVID-19 protocol if federal authorities try to influence outcome of cases.
The governor made this disclosure in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 delegation led by the National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammad paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Saturday, March 27, 2021.
He said: “Some people said that I did not take my vaccine. I did, but am not into public show.
Taking vaccine is not undertaking any project for anybody to see that you have taken vaccine.
It has turned to politics. Assuming what 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. 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 will not hesitate to dissolve the tribunal if federal authorities attend to influence outcome of any given case before the tribunal.
The governor lauded the PTF Chairmen, Boss Mustapha, and members of his team for the good job they have done in containing the spread of COVID-19 that has kept the world on its toes.
He explained that the One Billion Naira given to Rivers State by the PTF is managed by the Commissioner for Health and the State government is 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 account any day, anytime because that money is public fund.”
Meanwhile, PTF National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammad applauded Governor 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 has 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 have 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 percent of those who were COVID-19 positive have all recovered from the illness.”
Source: Vanguard
