First, I wonder how the Council went to carry out a seal up exercise without fumigating the building and its environs. We are not even sure if all the staff of the clinic and occupants of the building have been arrested by the authorities.

The deceased, a BEDC Business Manager and Pastor was first taken to Lagos for treatment before returning to Warri two weeks ago for hidden treatment. Unborn, where he was hidden, is a densely populated Itsekiri community.

When we advocated for a shutdown of the state borders, people thought that we were playing the script of the opposition. Some mocked us that we were ignorant of the workings of government. Finally, when Governor Okowa heeded to our call, the Lockdown seemed only effective everywhere in the state bar the borders. We heard reports of complicit security officials collecting as low as N3000 to allow people into the state through the borders. Oh yes, nothing is impossible in crisis situations in Nigeria. Greed and lack of proper monitoring make our borders porous in such situations. Africans have never taken their health seriously. Otherwise, how do you explain the dearth of quality healthcare everywhere in Nigeria especially Delta State?

Now, see what has become of our state. Apparently, by the time Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa decided to shut down the borders, the 2nd case had already entered the state. The scariest thing is that there could be more cases. 

I’m sorry, but I do not share the belief that Delta State has been able to account for the exact number of possible COVID-19 carriers in the State. In fact, the entire country lacks that discipline. We are not people that keep accurate records.

The index COVID 19 case was unknown to the Delta State Government until his condition deteriorated. Same for this dead case.

The question is are we going to keep waiting for cases to deteriorate before we do the needful? From what we know about the virus, by the time a case deteriorates, the carrier has become high risk and may have infected everyone around him/her unbeknownst to them until about a week plus after contact with the high-risk case that they would start showing noticeable symptoms.

Besides the press releases and number updates that the State Government is doing, how thorough is their contact-tracing exercise? I bet you that even before the WSLGA officials arrived this morning, the clinic staff and maybe the other tenants occupying the house would have deserted the building. How do you trace them in a state that the accurate database has continually eluded?

Sadly, the very little awareness campaign is carried out in the state. Besides, the FG through NCDC general awareness campaign, I do not think that the state has scored above 40% in local awareness against the virus otherwise people who live around the building would have blown the cover on the case. 

To make matters worse, the deceased was transported all the way to Oghara before it could be confirmed that he died of Covid19. 

As densely populated as Warri -the most populous city and economic nerve center of Delta State, the State Government didn’t deem it proper to site a befitting Isolation Centre with testing kits in Warri. 

Everything is politics in Delta State -Every freaking goddamn thing. 

I pray that God helps us not to allow this to be a pandemic in Delta State. I just pray.