By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State has taken a swipe on the State Government for positing that the state is safe of Coronavirus even when there are no test centers in the state.

Addressing journalists in Awka, the state capital, the state party Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nnamdi Nwangwu, said: “The story is usually that Anambra is safe regarding the COVID-19 infections. But how can one really ascertain a state is safe if there is no testing centre anywhere in the state?

“Testing centres or, at least one, is the first thing a state should set up alongside isolation centres in this battle against this COVID-19 pandemic

“The state government can not claim that the state is safe when tests are not conducted to ascertain the COVID-19 status of its citizenry.”

Nwangwu stressed that the PDP was serious when it requested for a location to set up a COVID-19 testing centre in Anambra State within three weeks, saying that that the compassionate disposition of the party was clarified further after the very impressive COVID-19 intervention by the PDP in Awka on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

The party had over last weekend contributed N125 million to PDP relief fund for COVID-19.

Giving a breakdown of how the money would be utilised, the chairman of the committee, for deputy governorship candidate to Mr. Oseloka Obaze during the 2017 election, Mrs. Chidi Onyemelukwe, said the party would build COVID-19 testing centers in the state within 21 days.

While enjoining both the state and Federal government to oblige the party some space in their facilities to enable it set up the testing centers, she said: “With the announced relaxation of the lockdown, the PDP family in Anambra State is aware of the challenges facing the less privileged ones among us.

“While we know that Federal government and the state government will and have been doing a lot to help the people restart their lives, we in PDP Anambra deem it imperative as a party and as a people to, once again, rise up and support our people, especially the vulnerable in Anambra State to get back on their feet. We are therefore committing N125m towards this purpose.”

Nwangwu insisted that there was nothing like political talk regarding the request for a location to set up a testing centre for the benefit of the citizens.