Former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Remi have tested negative for Covid-19.
However, one of Tinubu’s aide, who has tested positive for the virus is now in isolation just as the result of a test conduct on the body of another aide who died recently has returned positive for coronavirus.
The Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) had moved in to test the Tinubus and their staff following the death, last Friday, of Tinubu’s chief security officer, Lateef Raheem.
“Following the death of our well-respected and beloved chief security officer, Lateef Raheem, NCDC medics took the wise precaution of taking samples from his body for testing to actually determine the cause of death. Today (Monday, April 27), the test results are back. The samples tested positive for Covid-19.
“As a precautionary measure taken soon after the death of Raheem, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and all their aides took Covid-19 tests Saturday, April 25. The results of the tests were returned this morning.
Test results for both Asiwaju and Senator Tinubu were negative.
“The results of one aide were positive. The rest of the staff were negative. The one staff member has been isolated in accordance with NCDC guidelines,” Tunde Rahman, Tinubu’s media aide said in a statement on Monday.
Rahman added that further contact tracing and Covid-19 tests were being conducted by the NCDC with regard to the relatives and possible contacts of the staff member who has tested positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, Tinubu has proferred ways to overcome the pandemic and sustain the economy.
The former governor, who described Covid-19 as real, said those who discount it or claim it is a fabrication do a grave and dangerous disservice to the public well-being.”
“Likewise, those who stigmatise people who may have been stricken by the virus also do a disservice by casting blame on the innocent and discouraging people from taking the Covid test,” he said.
Tinubu added: “We cannot defeat this health menace through ignorance or by shaming one another. We can only beat it through transparency, knowledge and compassion. This, we have learned first-hand.”
He stressed that openness and transparency must be observed if Nigeria was to defeat the disease, warning that no house was immune to the deadly disease.
“Contracting the virus should not bring social or moral stigma any more than contracting malaria or a common cold.
“We cannot overcome this challenge by acting like it does not exist or by trying to conceal that someone may have it due to social shame. The culture of denial is counterproductive and will do great harm in our current situation,” Tinubu said.
The APC national leader urged Nigerians not to be afraid of being tested if they have any symptoms or may have come in contact with someone who has been infected.
He said everything must be done to contain the spread of the virus and to well treat those who have been hit by it.
“As you go about your day, we know you must find daily sustenance. Yet, please continue to do all you can to maintain social distance and to take all other public health measures to protect yourself and others. In this way, we all may contribute to halt the spread of this dangerous virus,” said Tinubu.
