COVID-19: Uncertainty trails Kyari’s state

Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

An atmosphere of gloom and uncertainty was prevalent in the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, following rumoured report of the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Abba Kyari, testing positive to a Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

As at 3pm on Tuesday, all efforts to confirm the rumoured development from regular official sources were still unsuccessful and many of those reached either claimed to be unaware or refused to talk about it at all.

The confusion got more serious when members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Pandemic, led by its Chairman, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, visited the wing housing the office of the Chief of Staff in the State House.

When reached earlier in the day for a reaction to the rumoured development, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, simply said “sorry, I can’t talk right now” in a text message.

However, The Nation gathered that both President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Kyari, were tested for the virus, but while that of the President came out negative, the Kyari was said not to have been so lucky.

Those close to him said he was last sighted around the State House on Friday as he was neither seen on Monday nor Tuesday in his office.

The Chief of Staff to the President, it was gathered, returned from an official trip to Germany last week, after which he had been part of meetings in the Villa, including last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

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Meanwhile, the PTF on COVID-19, led by it Chairman, Boss Mustapha, visited the office of the Chief of Staff in the State House Tuesday afternoon.

The team had virtually all the members of the task force, but when approached when sighted coming out of the place, the members of the group declined comment.

The Chairman of the task force dismissed reporters and cameramen who met them at the door, saying, “they will brief later” and led his members out of the hallway.