By Ife Osemedua
In what may be seen as a blatant disregard of President Muhammadu Buhari’s newly signed laws on COVID -19 prevention protocols, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, was captured in a warm embrace with Senate Chief Whip, Chief Orji Kalu, without a face mask on.
The former Abia State governor, Kalu, was received in audience at Lugard House, Lokoja, on Wednesday, February 11, 2021, by Governor Bello, who was seen hugging the Senator without his face mask, perhaps in furtherance to his controversial sentiments that Coronavirus does not exist in Kogi State.
Part of the COVID-19 prevention protocols recommended by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) include washing of hands regularly under a running water, wearing of face mask in public places, social distancing which prohibits handshake, hugging, sitting or standing in close proximity with others, especially without a face mask, amongst others.
But Bello has been very critical of government’s approach to the fight against the virus in Nigeria, claiming that government was only wasting money for a non-existent problem.
This has caused the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 pandemic, to warn Nigerians about traveling to Kogi State because of the risk of contracting the virus due to the uncooperative attitude of the state government in the fight against the virus.
In response to the PTF directive, Kogi State government threatened to sue the government body responsible for the coordination of government efforts against the pandemic, accusing it of de-marketing the state because “Kogi State has been exposing the huge fraud called COVID-19 in Nigeria to the people.”
According to Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Senator Orji’s visit to Kogi was “based on the existing relationship between him, Governor Bello and the people of Kogi State.”
He added that Orji “commended Governor Bello for his effort in stamping out criminal elements in the state, noting that the state has become more peaceful unlike what it used to be before the administration of Yahaya Bello.
“He urged Kogi Governor to continue to strengthen the bond between Kogi and the Federal Government in other to attract more infrastructure to the state.”
He went further to say that “Orji lauded Bello for youths and women inclusions in his administration stating that such approach should be emulated by other leaders across the nation.”