*Says, “They Rushed To Social Media…Shut Down the Office for 2 weeks.…that he died Of COVID-19… As Governor of the State, every life is important to me.”
*NDDC Reacts, Says Autopsy Not Ready… Would Be Released With Family Consent…” idea behind internal memo was purely precautionary”.
By Hamilton Nwosa(Head, The New Diplomat’s Business and Data tracking desk)
As the crisis racking the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) soars, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, has waded in, with a stern warning that people should desist from hasty claims that the late acting Executive Director of the Commission under the Interim Management Committee(IMC), Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang died as a result of COVID-19.
The Governor who said he owe it as a duty to stand for the life of the deceased being a native of Akwa Ibom state said it is his part of responsibility to ensure that the lives of all Akwa- Ibom people matter. According to the governor, the elders, citizens and all people of Akwa Ibom state would need answers to burning questions about the death of the late Finance director of NDDC, Ibanga Bassey Etang.
Recall that the deceased Chief Etang, a native of Akwa Ibom state, was until his death on Thursday, the acting executive director of finance and administration under the IMC framework at the NDDC.
While reacting to the Etang’s death, Governor Emmanuel said: “The result is not out yet, so I don’t know how people came by the information that he died of COVID-19. I am not saying he died or he didn’t die of COVID-19. I am waiting for the result. When the result comes out, we will ask questions, certainly. How did they immediately come up with the information when the result of the test was not yet out? Why did they grant interviews everywhere saying it was COVID-19?
“There are a lot of questions that are left unanswered in this matter. And I want to say here that we stand for our brother, we stand for the lives of our citizens.
“We are monitoring, we are waiting for the result. Once the result comes out, I will let the ‘elders’ of the state know and then we will decide on what to do. We can’t just be keeping quiet. We have told the commissioner if the COVID-19 result comes out negative, they must do autopsy on that body, let’s know what happened.”
But the NDDC in its own reaction via a press statement issued on Friday said an autopsy report on the death of its acting executive director of Finance and Administration, Bassey Etang was still being expected, stating that when it is ready ” it would be released with the consent of the family.”
The statement which was issued by Charles Obi Odili of the NDDC ‘s corporate Affairs directorate said: ” The Commission also wishes to state that the rumours over the internal memo for staff of the Commission to stay away, so that sanitary and hygienic cleaning of the Commission can take place, is most unfortunate. The idea behind it is purely precautionary.”
It would be recalled that the NDDC had in an internal memo dated 28th May 2020 with reference no: NDDC/HO/HAHR/3 signed by one Silas Anyawu on behalf of the management of the NDDC and obtained by The New Diplomat, had directed all Directors, Head of Departments/ Units and indeed, all staff to vacate the complex with immediate effect.
He added: “There will be a time we’ll start asking questions. I am just waiting.” The governor who spoke during the opening of a 300-bed isolation centre built in Uruan by his administration said he was shocked that people rushed to the social media to make hasty claims that Etang died of COVID-19.
“They rushed to the social media and published even the internal memo that they have shut down the (NDDC) office for two weeks, and that he died of COVID-19. “I know I am not supposed to say this, but I am the governor of the state and every life of my citizen is important to me,” he added.
The Akwa Ibom state governor further revealed that upon reading social media posts about the death of Etang which tended to claim that he died of COVID-19, he quickly contacted the Rivers State Commissioner for health to ascertain if a COVID-19 test had been carried out on the late Etang, and if the result was out.
Recall that shortly after Etang’s death, the NDDC management apparently acting on the directive of its supervising ministry( ministry of Niger Delta Affairs) ordered all staff to immediately vacate the headquarters of the Commission as it shut down operations swiftly.
Curiously, in line with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, the NDDC management proceeded to ask all staff to equally embark on self-isolation for two weeks, while fumigation of offices and premises of the Commission was to proceed according to schedule.
This development was said to have triggered concerns and fueled claims that the late director may have died of COVID-19.
