Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has denied meeting with Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari before he was tested positive to the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic.
Diri spoke when he visited the state isolation centre located at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in Okolobiri, Yenagoa local government area of the state on Wednesday.
He disclosed that, as at the time he met with Bauchi state governor, Senator Bala Muhammed, during the National Economic Meeting (NEC), the former FCT minister had not contacted the virus then.
Diri, who was reacting to several calls from Bayelsans for him to go on self isolation after sitting close to Bauchi State governor, and allegedly meeting with Abba Kyari when he visited President Buhari last, also applauded the facilities at the isolation centre.
He said the state government was taking proactive measures to ensure that the virus does not spread into the state.
He disclosed that the hospital had already started producing hand sanitisers, face masks and other preventive equipment to protect citizens of the state from the disease.
He said the state government had taken measures in protecting its water and land boundaries to monitors visitors into the state.
He said: “I have no contact with Governor Bala Muhammed and Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Buhari. What happened was that in the NEC meeting, we normally sit in alphabetical order, after Bauchi is Bayelsa, so on Thursday last week, when we had NEC meeting, we sat close, and before then, he had not contacted the virus.
“During the NEC meeting, Abba Kyari was not there, we were told that he was somewhere in Germany. So, actually I am even taken by surprise, where and how the speculation is coming that I had contact with the Chief of Staff.
“For Bala Muhammed, yes, we always sit close during NEC meeting, and by then, he had not contacted the disease,” he said.
Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, tested positive for coronavirus last Wednesday.
Also, Governor of Bauchi State, Abdulkadir Muhammed, disclosed that he had tested positive for the virus yesterday.
