The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyangeyen has denied a report that some members of the state executive council have contracted coronavirus and were receiving treatment in private hospitals.
Describing it as a lie , he said all commissioners in the state executive council are in good health and helping the COVID-19 in the fight against the pandemic.
In a statement made available to Businessday, he expressed dismay over such a report adding that the commissioners have had the usual executive council meetings with Governor Udom Emmanuel presiding.
The statement further read in part, “the news going around that nine commissioners in Akwa Ibom are sick of Covid-19 is a blatant lie from an insane blackmailer, who is sponsored.
“I want to state here categorically that all the Commissioners in Akwa Ibom State executive council are in good and sound health conditions and helping the state Covid-19 Committee fight to prevent the spread of the Pandemic in the State.
“To state the obvious, on Friday the 17th of April, we all gathered at the Exco chambers where we had the usual state executive meeting with the Governor.”
According to him, on the 19th, they all came out for college meeting, on the 24th of April, which was the Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC) meeting, all members attended, observing social distancing as ordered by the Federal Ministry of Health without an exemption.
He said as the Commissioner in charge of the ministry of works handling the ongoing construction of the Isolation Centre at the General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, Uruan local government, many of the commissioners had often stopped by “every day to see the progress of the work done.”
The commissioner challenged those behind the false report to name the nine commissioners and the location where they are undergoing treatment adding it was no time for lies but for the state government should be supported and encouraged to keep the executive council focused day by day.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
