Presidency has reacted to the report of alleged spread of the COVID-19 in the Presidential Villa, saying presidential aides are also humans.
Report had emerged on Saturday, listing a number of close aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had been diagnosed with the virus and have been asked to self-isolate and stay away from the Villa.
However, speaking on a monitored Channels Television programme, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the fact that aides of the President could fall ill as a result of a pandemic ravaging the entire population means that they are also humans like any other member of the society.
“Well, what I like to say is that presidential aides are just human. They can fall sick. If anything happens to human beings, it can also happen to presidential aides. The fact that we are presidential aides does not make us to be immune to certain things. If there is a virus that is ravaging the society, well, it can touch anybody.
“So, Mallam Garba Shehu has confirmed that, yes, he tested positive, but he said it’s mild and I believe that by now, because it happened since Wednesday, by now, he should almost have beaten it if he had not beaten it already. There is no cause for alarm,” he said.
Asked how he was holding up since he had contact with Shehu, Adesina said: “Well, I also believe God for the best. If it happens, I’ll recover. So, that’s it.”
Asked how many of the President’s aides in the State House have been infected, Adesina said: “No. That will not be within my purview to discuss maybe if you get the Presidential doctor or anybody in the medical side, they will tell you. I wouldn’t know because, it is a private thing. If it happens to anybody is between that person and possibly the doctor. It’s not going to be general knowledge. So, I may not be able to say.”
Asked if the President was isolating because he had been exposed to those infected, Adesina said: “Well, I think Mr. President is quite fine; he is doing his normal routine, following his normal schedule.
“But if anybody close to him test positive, that person is required to stay away till he tests again, and he test negative. So, Mr. President is following his normal schedule and routine,” he said
