The death of the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Makanti Baru from suspected COVID-19 in a private hospital has thrown the growing camp of Abuja VIPs down with coronavirus into panic.
Many of these VIPs, who fear their identities could be blown if they go to government designated isolation/treatment centre at Gwagwalada General Hospital, have been patronizing some high profile clinics in Abuja seeking treatment for the virus.
This was the case with the ex-NNPC boss, who after testing positive for coronavirus was allowed by the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) to seek treatment at a popular private clinic (name withheld) located around Gudu District in the federal capital.
But the decision proved fatal as Baru who was NNPC GMD until July 2019, gave up the ghost on Friday night.
KaftanPost learnt that other VIPs with similar ailment on admission at the clinic and similar private health facility in Abuja are now gripped by fear and reconsidering their position.
The particular clinic where Baru died, it was learnt, has been the main private hideout of these wealthy coronavirus patients, tucked away from public glare, particularly NCDC officials who are keeping records of those infected, treated, discharged or dead.
“NCDC has lost trace of many of these big men and only know of their status most times, after their death, and just to update their records,” a medic told KaftanPost, adding “some have died without such an update.”
“In the case of Baru, NCDC tested him and allowed him to go to that private hospital instead of Gwagwalada General Hospital. It is now (after his death) that NCDC is doing postmortem contact tracing at his (Baru) Asokoro neighbourhood,” the medic said.
KaftanPost investigations reveal that many VIPs with COVID-19 visit Abuja hospitals casually like outpatients, including the recently deceased wife of a former Governor of a North-West State.
A keen observer who is also a medic who spoke to KAFTANPOST in anonymity said that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and NCDC rules are for the commoners.
A recent death from COVID-19 occurred a few days after the victim left Abuja to Kano and returned despite the so-called interstate lockdown. Many VIPs including government officials also fly around the country with family and friends. So, the journey of Nigeria in the COVID-19 wilderness might take 40 months instead of 40 days.
40 months! That is less..with the way the VIPs are misbehaving we should expect Nigeria wondering in Covid 19 desert for 40yeaes instead! I don’t seem to understand what is wrong with our elites. This is still an extension of their obsessed travel abroad for medical treatment mentality! They don’t have confidence in our system that they are the makers. They should have understood by now that Covid 19 is out for their likes and all out to teach them humility and repentance for taking this blessed Country to this stage and denying same by their selfish actions. Let them die and all the monies they have stolen and kept in store abroad for their unborn offsprings will be repatriated as “Abacha looth”