From Akanimore Kufre (The New Diplomat’s Uyo & Calabar Correspondent)
As the ravaging effects of Covid-19 pandemic hit hard on Akwa -Ibom State, a coalition of civil society and activists have called on the State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to immediately recall the State’s foremost Epidemiologist, and Lead of the State’s incidence Management Committee for covid-19, Dr Aniekeme Uwah.
Dr Uwah is reputed to be among Nigeria’s best Epidemiologists who was recently honored by the African Union on account of his excellent works in the fight against Ebola outbreak in Liberia between 2014 and 2015 but was said to have been inappropriately relieved of his role as lead of Akwa-Ibom Covid-19 Committee.
The Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organizations Forum under the auspices of Guild of Community Development Advocates which issued a statement on behalf of various civil Society groups and activists organizations in the State while decrying the reported removal of Dr. Uwah, a distinguished Epidemiologist and Chair of the State’s Incidence Management Committee for COVID19 by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, on alleged inappropriate grounds said the State cannot afford this crisis at this critical period of covid-19 when “we need our best to lead the team of experts to tackle the crisis.”
The forum in a strongly worded petition to Governor Udom Emmanuel, urged the governor to immediately carry out a thorough investigation into the alleged questionable behaviour of the State Commissioner for Health which has allegedly brought so much public embarrassment and reputational crisis to Akwa Ibom State. In the meantime, the forum called on the governor to order the immediate recall of one of Nigeria’s most outstanding Epidemiologists, Dr Uwah, whom it said the “State should be celebrating as a proud indigene of Akwa Ibom State, and not be subjected to some secret, unprofessional and unpalatable politics by a commissioner.”
The statement reads: ” This forum is shocked that the state could muster the courage to sack the foremost epidemiologist at this critical time, especially with palpable fears among the citizenry that the virus might have spread more the government would want the world to believe. Dr. Uwah is reported to have been sacked because he sent more blood samples for testing that the than his immediate boss the Health Commission would have wanted him to. If this report is true, then the decision to sack the lead epidemiologist would a most terrible decision and a disservice to the state.”
The statement signed by the Forum’s chairman, Mr Harry Udo added: “Dr Aniekeme Uwah who is a reputed medical professional with wealth of experience in Public Health and expertise in curbing Infectious diseases and highly sought after in Africa, and was recently honored by the African Union for his meritorious service fighting Ebola outbreak in Liberia between 2014 and 2015, and who is currently the Secretary, Common Wealth Medical Association’s Covid 19 Response Committee is an asset to the state. Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organizations Forum, hereby calls on the state governor to wade into the matter and reinstate Dr. Aniekeme Uwah. His sack at this time would worsen the already precarious situation caused by this rampaging pandemic.
“Furthermore, if the reason reported for the sack is indeed true, then it raises a lot of questions.Why is the state government intent on reducing the number of people tested? Didn’t the state government put out a release a few days back declaring they were embarking on aggressive testing? What is the number of people tested so far? Why is the state government shrouding the management of the COVID19 pandemic in the state in secrecy? What are they hiding? While we leave the state government to provide answers to these questions, we passionately plead with the state governor, His Excellency, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel to reinstate Dr, Aniekeme Uwah for the good of Akwa ibom state Citizens.”
Recall that Akwa Ibom State has been battling with much controversies arising from exchanges between State’s Health Commissioner Dr Dominic Ukpong and the NCDC-National Centre for Disease Control, which is the Federal government’s body responsible for dealing with Covid-19 cases. The controversy centred around actual numbers of covid-19 cases in Akwa Ibom State.
