Benue: Governor Ortom, Says COVID-19 Lives In His House, As Wife, Son, Cooks, Maids, CoS, SSG, HoS, Test Positive

By Adesina Soyooye

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has been hit and boxed into a corner. And he is worried and frustrated.

Almost everybody around him is COVID-19 positive.

On Friday, July 3, his wife, Eunice, son, cooks, maids, and some personal staff tested positive for the Virus, and went into Isolation. He declared: “The disease Is in my house”

As if that was not enough, on Saturday, July 4, a worried Ortom said he was considering a second lockdown of the state.

In mulling that, guiding him is the fact that his Secretary to the Government, Tony Ijohor, Head of Service, Veronica Onyeke, and Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde are,  also, now, COVID-19 positive.

He said they were among the 33 people who have just tested positive for the Virus.

Ortom: “As my wife rightly announced of her COVID-19 positive status, and that of our son late Friday, this should serve as a lesson to our people in the state that no one is immune to COVID-19, and we should all adhere to the protocols set by WHO.

“We have 33 people who just tested positive for COVID-19 in the State,  among them are the Head of Service, SSG,  and my Chief of Staff, also the Deputy Chairman of the state COVID-19 Committee.

“The disease is right in my house. My wife, son, cooks, maids and other personal staff tested positive for the disease.”

On his own status, he said, “Though I am negative, my samples will be taken in the next three days for another test. But, right now, we are all in self-isolation.”

He said the COVID-19 Committee will meet to decide whether to put the state back on total lockdown.