Less than three months after Okezie Ikpeazu proclaimed that no COVID-19 case will be recorded in Abia, the governor has become the latest positive case in the state.
John Okiyi Kalu, the state’s commissioner of information, announced Ikpeazu’s status in a statement on Monday.
He said the governor was confirmed positive for the disease after a second test — the first having returned negative.
Kalu said: “Recall that on Saturday, 30th May, 2020, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu volunteered his sample for COVID-19 test and subsequently directed members of the state Executive Council (EXCO) and those of the inter ministerial committee on COVID-19 to submit themselves for the same test. On Tuesday, 2nd June, 2020. Tthe result of Governor Ikpeazu’s test returned negative.
“On Thursday, 4th June, 2020, the Governor submitted another sample at NCDC laboratory for confirmation and the result returned positive.”
Earlier in March, Ikpeazu in a chat with his chief press secretary, said Abia is the only state mentioned in the Bible and that God has promised no disease will touch “His people”.
“Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases will touch God’s people,” the governor had said, adding: “We saw Ebola, it did not get to us. We saw monkey pox, it didn’t get to us. Even this one (coronavirus) will also pass us by.”
But he is not the index case of COVID-19 in the state.
The cases in Abia jumped to 83 after it recorded the highest daily figure on Sunday with 67 infections.