The Principal Private Secretary, PPS, to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Mr. Stephen Amase has tested positive for COVID-19.
Mr. Amase a close aide of the Governor made his status known in a statement he made available to newsmen Tuesday in Makurdi.
The development is coming few days after the Chairman of the Benue state Action Committee on COVID-19 and Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Benson Abounu had disclosed that Governor Ortom had gone on self-isolation after a close Permanent Secretary earlier tested positive for the virus.
Mr. Amase in the statement said he had personally requested for the test given the increasing wave of COVID 19 pandemic “especially as we entered 2021.
“On my request, the Health Commissioner despatched a team to my house who undertook the COVID 19 test on my whole household including other interested persons in the neighbourhood.
“This was on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. The result comes out this morning Tuesday, January 12, 2021, and l tested positive. The results of the other members of my household are yet to be made available to me and you will be informed as soon as it is made available to me.
“Meanwhile I have called and informed all the people I had contact with in the past few days to please go for the COVID-19 test. I have also forwarded their names (those I can remember) to the Ministry of Health to track them to avoid further spread.
“Let me inform and beg such people I had contact with in the past few days to please report themselves for the COVID 19 test to check the spread.”
