Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Friday, stated that he was once tested positive for the ravaging COVID-19.
Obasanjo, who the remark at a colloquium organized to mark his 84th birthday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said he was relieved 72 hours later when subsequent tests came out negative.
He said though he was a bit concerned about the first result, he had to call his daughter; Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo–Bello.
According to him, she told him that he was not having any symptom but the COVID–19 test sample extracted from him came out positive, stressing that Iyabo’s verdict was that the result might be faulty and required further tests.
The colloquium which has as its theme, “Reflection on Governance and Changes for Post – pandemic Leadership in Africa” with hundreds of people in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Singapore and Nigeria participated virtually.
Obasanjo, therefore, advised people not to be afraid to come quite close to felicitate him on his birthday because of the dread of COVID–19 infection, saying he has tested negative three times to it.
He noted that God had continued to be compassionate and merciful to Nigeria and the rest of Africa, saying if the Coronavirus had come in the manner of Ebola in Africa with its devastation, no amount of social or physical distancing would have saved the continent.
He wondered how much social distancing requirement would have been able to accomplish in Mushin, Lagos, where eight people live in one room or Ajegunle, also in Lagos, where no fewer than 10 people occupy 12 by 12 room.
On why the pandemic did not wreck havoc to lives in Africa like it did in America, Europe and Asia, Obasanjo said many have attributed Africa’s luck to genetics, heat and peculiar food in the environment, but stressed that for whatever might be the plausible explanation, God’s finger could not be ruled out.
The ex-Nigerian President lamented that the coronavirus spread to many nations of the world because the United States under the administration of Donald Trump was passive in addressing the public challenge, saying Trump spent all his time dismissing the danger as “Chinese virus until it became a global problem.”
