The Presidential Villa, Abuja is this Tuesday in an eerie mood as reports claim that the Chief of Staff to the president, Mallam Abba Kyari, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Following the federal government’s directive for civil servants from grade level 1 – 12 to stay and work from home, there are fewer than normal personnel who reported for work.
Some of them could be seen in small numbers talking in hush tones, ostensibly about the news of the test, which was yet to be officially acknowledged at the time of this report.
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Others have been heard openly expressing fears about the consequences of a positive test for the CoS given the nature of his interaction with politicians, other senior government officials and staff.
Since returning from Germany, Kyari who was said not to have asymptotic had been attending meetings including last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the inauguration of the Presidential Task Force for the Control of COVID-19, both of which were presided over by President Buhari.
Kyari was said to have tested positive on Monday reportedly necessitating a COVID-19 test by President Muhammadu Buhari whose result was said to have returned negative.
The CoS had returned from Germany last week after meeting with officials of Siemens on the Nigerian electricity expansion programme.
When asked for comments, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, said he could not speak at that time.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on the Control of Coronavirus pandemic led by the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, was at the presidential villa with the full complement of his members on Tuesday.
It was not clear what the committee’s mission was as Mustapha simply said they are waiting for State House correspondents that there would be a briefing later.
The committee, however, went to the floor housing the offices of the CoS and that of Shehu, who himself, was thought to be in self-isolation having been in contact with Kyari since the Germany trip.
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