COVID-19: Why Governor Ikpeazu’s aides clashed with hospital staff in Abuja

Aides to Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, on Thursday clashed with hospital staff at a private facility in Abuja where their principal is currently undergoing treatment.

The aides include the governor’s Personal Assistant, Chiamaeze Nwafor, driver and a security aide.

Trouble started when the governor’s aides arrived the hospital facility and insisted on accessing their principal, who had equally tested positive for the ravaging coronavirus, but were barred from seeing him.

The hospital management were said to have resisted their move and assured that the governor was recovering, but the staff of the hospital didnt listen. This led to few minutes of altercation including verbal exchange between the aides and the health facility staff.

A source in the hospital, who preferred to be anonymous, said it took the special security force intervention in the area to calm the situation. The source, however, assured that there was no cause for alarm.

“Yes, he (Ikpeazu) had sought treatment here some days ago and has been at our private facility since then. He is showing signs of improvement and recovery,” the source said.

Asked about the altercations on Thursday, the source said, “It is a case of some overzealous aides of the governor who wants their principal well at all cost. The situation is under control.”

The source, however, said the aides have since returned to their various facility to continue their COVID-19 treatment.

Governor Ikpeazu had earlier declared to whad tested positive to COVID-19, and Government House sources had disclosed that the governor was being “flown out of the state for better attention.”