The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected the 10 vehicles donated by ExxonMobil for use in contact tracing of COVID-19 patients.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Udoh, and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Sunday, the government said the vehicles were too old and not considered good enough to withstand the rigors of contact tracing.
Udoh said the decision was taken by the State COVID-19 committee following an evaluation of the vehicles and other donations made to the state by the oil company.
READ: NCDC rates Akwa Ibom highly in COVID-19 contact-tracing
He stated that the government had, however, accepted the two ambulances and 20 hospital beds donated by the oil company, though it claimed that the ambulances are converted buses, while the beds were below the standard of those currently in the state’s secondary healthcare facilities.
“The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected the 10; very old, used vehicles donated by ExxonMobil for use in the COVID-19 contact tracing in the state.
“The decision was taken at the State COVID-19 Committee meeting yesterday following an evaluation of the vehicles and other donations to the state by the oil company.
“The vehicles are considered too old and not in good enough operational conditions to withstand the rigors of contact tracing which they were meant to serve.
“However, the state government has accepted the two ambulances and 20 hospital beds also donated by the oil company, despite the fact that the ambulances are converted buses while the beds are below the standard of those currently in secondary healthcare facilities in the state,” the statement read.
According to Udoh, the government is appreciative of the material and financial support of corporate bodies and private individuals, and urged the people of the state to continue to keep to the prescribed safety measures against the spread of the disease.
ExxonMobil had, on Friday last week, announced the donation of two ambulances for emergency cases and 15 vehicles to the Akwa Ibom State government.
The company also said World Health Organization (WHO) certified COVID-19 test kits, sample collection kits and hospital beds valued at more than N90 million will be given to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.
The donation of ExxonMobil followed complaints by the Akwa Ibom State government that the oil giant has not given any support to the state towards the fight against COVID-19.
