Top Nigerian Governmental Officials Test Positive for Covid-19

March 25, 2020 - 2:07 PM

Abba Kyari, President Buhari’s influential Chief of staff who is in his 70’s has tested positive for coronavirus, Pillars correspondent gathered with direct knowledge from a source on Tuesday.

Kyari illness could have great impact on Nigeria’s economy being a very important figure in President Buhari’s government.He is the gate keeper who most Governors, Nigeria’s top business owners and politicians book appointment with to see the President.Having had a history of diabetes and other medical complications for a while.Prior to this, a state governor has also tested positive.Previously, most cases were travellers who had recently returned from the United Kingdom or the United States .The Chief of staff who is very vital in Buhari government falling ill has the potential to slow down decision-making within top tiers of the government.

He traveled in the company of other Nigerian delegation in the first week of March to Germany to meet with Siemens AG, a top Engineering giant.It is unclear if Kyari, who three diplomats also said had tested positive for coronavirus, self-isolated upon his return to Nigeria. Germany has reported some 27,000 cases of coronavirus and 114 deaths from the pandemic. Buhari who was also been tested was negative.

Bauchi state government spokesman has also said Governor Bala Mohammed has also been diagnosed with coronavirus and was in quarantine.This was after he met with former Vice -President, Atiku Abubakar,s son who tested positive after arriving into the country from the U.K and attending several public meeting before submitting himself for Corona Virus Test.

Nigeria has confirmed 42 cases of corona virus; the index case, an Italian from Italy who works in Nigeria and the first person he had contact with, two of whom had recovered, and one death – describing the victim as a 67-year old former PPMC boss,who had pre-existing medical conditions including cancer and diabetes and recently returned to Nigeria following medical treatment in the UK.

Important offices and states are shutting down.The Nigeria Stock Exchange said its trading floors would close temporarily, only allowing remote trading. Lagos state Commissioner for Health Professor Akin Abayomi warned that hundreds of Africa’s top film stars could have been exposed to coronavirus at the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award on March 14.

The Rivers State Government has announced the closure of air, sea and land borders into the state with effect from Thursday, March 26, 2020.Governor Nyesom Wike, who made this announcement in a state broadcast on Wednesday, said the move was to further check the spread of coronavirus to the state.

Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced that all parks, gyms and public markets in the commercial capital, apart from those selling food, water, medicine or “other essential life-saving products”, would close on Thursday for at least seven days. Citing the many among Lagos’s 20 million residents who could not afford to stock up on essential items.He stopped short of calling for a total lockdown,In his words;”We know what our poverty line is, and I’m a very realistic leader,”We need to be considerate of that.”