By Akinwale Kasali
Is it possible to bribe people to accept testing positive for Coronavirus? Yes, answers the Cross River State Government.
Proof? Look no further. The Government says the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, is doing exactly that.
It was reacting to NCDC’s recent comments that the State Government is negligent in testing and tracing for having not recorded a case of Coronavirus since its outbreak.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Betta Edu, in response, flayed NCDC for making such comments which she tagged, ‘Unreasonable, hypocritical and unjust’ about some Nigerian states who are yet to record Coronavirus cases.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, had stated that Coronavirus will get to every state in Nigeria as he pointed out that some states are yet to send in enough samples for tests. He averred that some states which are yet to record cases of COVID-19 are either negligent in testing and tracing, or actively hiding the disease within their territories.
Reacting to this statement, Health Commissioner Edu slammed the agency over the comment while addressing newsmen on Wednesday April 29, stating that she wants the pressure on Cross River State to stop.
She also alleged that some residents of the state have been receiving text messages in which they are promised millions if they can claim they are Coronavirus positive.
The health commissioner also stated that they are expected to conduct Coronavirus test in a community with 500,000 people with just 50 test kits.
She added that Cross River State is yet to record any case, and they wouldn’t be pressurized by the NCDC to fake reports where there is none.
