By IDONGESIT ASHAMERI, Uyo

Staff of Akwa Ibom Government House are now living in palpable fear following the growing spread of the virus in their offices.

Recall that 16 members of the government House Press Corps last month tested positive to the virus and were all relocated to the isolation centre at the Ibom Specialist Hospital for treatment.

Other journalists who had contacts with members of the press corps were duly followed up for a period of two weeks.

A government house source who spoke with newsmen in Uyo on Monday on condition of anonymity said Governor Udom Emmanuel, moved by the effect of the virus within the press corps ordered a massive testing of other units within the government house.

“It should shock you that within two days we recorded 17 and 18 cases respectively. Both domestic staff, protocol, security and others working in government house were; on the order of His Excellency subjected to test, and most of them turned out positive”. He said

The source expressed concerns that the alarming rate of infected persons within the government house, to a very great extent, revealed how unsafe the entire state may be.

“These ones are close to the Governor and have the opportunity to be tested and treated, what happens to those who have no such opportunity? Our people may just begin to die massively. We need to do more testing, we need to test those are are not close to the corridors of power”. He said

It could also be recalled that a broadcaster in the state was arrested and detained for alleging that nine Commissioners in the state were infected with Covid-19. Following such allegation, Governor Udom Emmanuel during a media chat paraded all Commissioners before newsmen to falsify the broadcaster’s claims.

The government house source in reaction to such experience queried; “members of the press corps throughout the lockdown worked closely with members of the state executive council, how then did most of them test positive to Covid-19 if the people they worked closely with were as clean as claimed”. (Daily Independent)

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