August 06, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State says it is not contemplating another lockdown considering the wider implications on the state’s economy.
THEWILL reports that as at August 5, 2021, Akwa Ibom recorded 88 of the 566 new cases of the dreaded scourge recorded in the country, as released by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Ini Ememobong, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, who bared the mind of the state government during a one-hour interaction with correspondents in Uyo, the state capital, also denied reports that the state government was no longer picking the bills of COVID-19 patients.
“Though it is an option, it would only come as a last resort. We are still looking at the numbers as being released by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC),” he stated.
Ememobong, who attributed the high numbers to ‘’aggressive’’ testing by the state government, pointed out that not only people with symptoms are tested.
He said the current stock of vaccines had been exhausted.
He explained: “We are not having only people with symptoms tested. The numbers that we have are as a result of the aggressive testing being carried out by the state government.
“We are not overwhelmed by the numbers. The state government is conscious of the high numbers. A lockdown is also an option, but it is not being contemplated and we are still treating COVID-19 patients, Free Of Charge.”
He announced that the state government is supplying seedlings to farmers as part of measures to boost food production, while new value chains are being created in coconut farming and plantation.
According to him, the price of coconut oil is more attractive than crude oil, making it the new crude of the state government.
He went on explaining that huge investment was being made in agriculture and education, although he regretted that, “There is huge deficit in education infrastructure’’ in the state even as over 28,000 school desks have been distributed across the state.
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