Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State thanked God for His Grace and Mercy, and expressed gratitude for the massive outpouring of sympathies, prayers and public support extended to him when he announced his COVID-19 positive status.
The Governor who made this known in a live broadcast to the people of Kaduna state on Wednesday while announcing his coming out from isolation, said he has recovered from coronavirus after testing negative twice.
El-Rufai described the virus as a threat to humanity, adding that he will not wish his worst enemy to be COVID-19 positive.
The Governor who tested positive to COVID-19 on March 28, declared that ‘’after nearly four weeks of observing a strict medical regime, I have now received the ‘all-clear’ after two consecutive negative test results.”
El-Rufai thanked the state’s diligent medical personnel from the Ministry of Health and the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, who managed him while he was in isolation.
“I thank Almighty Allah for His grace and mercy. I also acknowledge with gratitude, the massive outpouring of sympathy, prayers and public support that followed the disclosure of the infection.
“My family not only went through the trauma of potentially losing a member, but also the risk of being infected as well. The entire family has been supportive as usual, while my many friends and colleagues from all over the world have sent their prayers and best wishes,’’ he added.
El-Rufai commended the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, for holding forte while he was in isolation.
“I wish to acknowledge our Deputy Governor for her reassuring leadership of our team in my absence. In this trying period, our senior officials have demonstrated admirable commitment and the flexibility to provide governance in circumstances that are so different from the old normal,’’ he said.
The Governor also commended the ‘’determined efforts of our Covid-19 Task Force chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the officials of our Ministry of Health, ably led by the Commissioner, and our security and enforcement agencies, to manage and contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
“The commitment, competence and capabilities displayed by the Kaduna State Government in my four-week absence is clear evidence that we have a public service we can all be proud of,’’ he maintained.
El-Rufai expressed relief by his recovery, adding that ‘’with the privilege of life, sound health, and the support and prayers of our citizens, I will continue to lead the Kaduna State Government’s efforts to ensure that as few of our people as possible get infected by Covid-19, and that those who do can receive adequate and timely care and treatment.
According to him, ‘’our emphasis is rightly on prevention because it is the prudent thing to do to save lives, given the limited capacity of our health system.
The Governor expressed delight over the recovery of all the other COVID-19 cases who were earlier discharged.