"There Is No Coronavirus In Cross River" - C'River Debunks Bauchi Governor's Claim

Dr Betta Edu

The Cross River State Government has dismissed claims from Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed 15 persons who tested positive for Covid-19 in his state just returned from Cross River State.

Cross River State is the only state in Nigeria yet to record any case of the virus.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta  Edu said this on Friday in an interview with Channels Television. 

Dr Edu insisted that Cross River State is free from the coronavirus disease, insisting that it is not possible for the people to travel out of the state following the closure of its borders.

“I will only be wondering what 15 people will pack themselves from Calabar and travel to Bauchi for, a convention or what exactly will they be going to Bauchi for?

“However, we want to say that we understand the pressure on him. Of course, we understand what he is going through. It is not easy to have the highest number of confirmed cases in the whole northeast of Nigeria.

“It is not easy to be able to cope with a population that is probably not following preventive measures that have been laid out just as he (Governor Mohammed) said in his interview.

“We understand the pressure; we understand where he is coming from. We want to say that Cross River at this point will stand by him,” she said.

She explained that Governor Ben Ayade’s administration will not want to join issues with anyone, stressing that Cross River is determined to supplying free face masks to Bauchi to curbing the virus.