By Nelson Ogbu
As COVID- 19 cases continue to rise including several top officials of the Benue State Government as well as domestic staff attached to the Governor's lodge who today tested positive to the virus, Benue state government is contemplating an immediate review of the relaxed of the lockdown
Governor Samuel Ortom earlier today while addressing newsmen in Makurdi, lamented that since the ease of lockdown in the state, people are no longer adhering to all the preventive measures and hinted that the State Action Committee on COVID-19 will meet next week to review the lockdown.
"The COVID-19 committee will seat early next week to take drastic decisions and review as it affects opening of religious places, markets and schools. This is necessary because we observed that since the ease of lockdown, people no longer adhere to the preventive measures "
He listed the affected top government officials to include Secretary to the Benue State Government (SSG), Prof. Anthony Ijohor, Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde, the Head of Service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke as well as the Vice Chairman of the State Action Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Achinge.
The Governor whose wife, Eunice had announced on Friday night that she and their son tested positive for the disease however disclosed that his own result returned negative.
He urged all Benue people, government officials and journalists to make themselves available for testing stressing that early knowledge of ones status helps to heal faster.
The total number of confirmed cases in the state now stands at 97 after the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed 32 new cases in Benue the previous day.
