By Bashir Adefaka
Out of 100 cases less three Coronavirus so far recorded in Nigeria, two strong members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) think-thank in Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, and Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, are among those confirmed to have tested positive.
These two are not just members of the ruling APC but also they are strong members of the think-thank of the party among who are best described as men around the President.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and sitting Governor of Bauchi State, North East Nigeria, Senator Bala Muhammed, are equally strong members of think-thank of the nation’s leading opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku’s son and the Bauchi governor tested positive and are taken to where they should be for care.
Alas! whereas President Muhammadu Buhari, who tested negative, and his wife have continued to send their words and prayers to Atiku and the PDP governor for them to get healed, members of the opposition party, who said to be enjoying full support of some lawyers, civil societies and media, have engaged in celebrating the sad news of Kyari and el-Rufai of APC especially when they know they are Buhari’s men.
A human right lawyer even took to his Facebook wall mocking Kyari in a post titled “welcome to Lagos”.
Findings further revealed that this set of people choose when to applaud and when to go sorrowful. They were clearly in the oblivion at the “under-reported” news of Atiku’s son and Governor Muhammed, a source said.
He added: “But to our greatest disappoinment, they have not only been everywhere celebrating the positivity of Coronavirus status of el-Rufai and Kyari but also, they are everywhere even sad that President Buhari tested negative and that his family members and aides particularly Chief Femi Adesina and Malam Garba Shehu do not test positive.
“Aside that, they rather resorted to cooking fake news and peddling dangerous rumours around saying Buhari’s second Coronavirus test returned positive and that he had been flown abroad with Kyari and reason the President has not addressed the nation on the disease,” he said.
These rumours were confirmed either from a post on ‘opra’, an Android app as credited to one Kemi Olunloyo about Buhari testing positive, while so many others about the President being seriously sick were purveyed via the Facebook social media walls of some of her members.
The DEFENDER, however, published on Saturday live pictures of the supposedly seriously sick President, Buhari, appearing lively, healthy and sound when he personally received in audience, Minister of Health and DG Nigeria Centre for Disease Control when they visited him for routine briefings about ongoing operations against the foreign disease imported to the country.
The saddest and most shameful of all of these is that these elements, who the Buhari’s government, officials and aides, whose Coronavirus statuses they are now celebrating, are working resiliently to save from having their lives cut short, do not not appear to appreciate the uncommon grace they enjoy when the situation in their country is compared to Italy where, under 24 hours, deaths jumped from over 3,000 to over 10,000 and United States of America where same hour deaths jumped from 1,700 to 2,100 with American confirmed cases topping 123,000 on Sunday from previous day’s 115,547.
Country where people are so disciplined, law abiding and have concern for collective good and national integrity following health guidelines, Coronavirus killed them in their scores of hundreds per 24 hours, much less Nigeria where people look at every national or international disaster from local ethnic, religious and political lens. But for Buhari in power, considering the attitude of past governments from 1999 to date, Coronavirus has capacity to kill 3,000 Nigerians against one American per day, due to the unfortunate behaviour they display towards their nation, their government and, consequencially themselves thinking they do so to spite an anti-corruption/insurgents personality in government.
Nigeria, President Buhari announced in his nationwide broadcast Sunday night, has confirmed cases of 97 plus two recoveries and one death. The government, in a statement by Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed also Friday, was sad that the people had not given it the support and cooperation it deserved to stop the continued spread of the Coronavirus in the country.
Against the thought that they would be weighed down by their new health statuses, the two Buhari’s men: Governor el-Rufai and Abba Kyari appeared in their respective video and written messages to the country that they were good as only Allah gives health and take it and announced they are keeping their cool believing that, in keeping to the terms and directives of health authorities in the country, they will re-emerge fresher and better.
Particularly, the Buhari’s Chief of Staff for second term running now, Malam Abba Kyari, spoke through a press statement he personally signed, giving the update about his situation, as obtained by The DEFENDER on Sunday.
The statement read: “I am writing to let you know that on medical advice, I will transfer to Lagos later today for additional tests and observation. This is a precautionary measure: I feel well, but last week, I tested positive for coronavirus, the pandemic that is sweeping the world. I have followed all the protocols government has announced to self-isolate and quarantine.
“I have made my own care arrangements to avoid further burdening the public health system, which faces so many pressures. Like many others that will test also positive, I have not experienced high fever or other symptoms associated with this new virus and have been working from home. I hope to be back at my desk very soon. I have a team of young, professional, knowledgeable and patriotic colleagues, whose dedication has been beyond the call of duty, who continue to work seven days a week, with no time of the day spared. We will continue to serve the President and people of Nigeria, as we have for the past five years.
“I want to thank all our fantastic, talented and brave healthcare professionals, working across the country in such a difficult time; all the good Samaritans looking out for the most vulnerable in our communities; the key workers that will keep our country going through this; friends and family and often strangers, who have sent me such warm wishes and displayed such a generosity of spirit.
“We should be calm, measured and diligent – be meticulous in your hygiene, especially with cleaning hands, if possible stay at home or keep your distance. Listen to good advice from the proper authorities: pay no heed to quack cures or fake news from social media. President Buhari will do whatever it takes to protect the health and safety of our people and get the country back on its feet as soon as possible.
“Like the whole world, we are dealing with a new disease. Our experts are learning more all the time about coronavirus, what it does and how we can combat it. What we do know is that while some may become very sick, many others who contract the virus will not, and may have no symptoms at all. This is a disease that recognises no difference between north and south, men or women, rich or poor. We are all in this together.”
