Drama as journalists boycott Senate briefing over COVID-19 fear

Some journalists covering the National Assembly, on Tuesday, shunned the press briefing undertaken by the Senate Spokesman, Senator Godiya Akwashiki.

This was not unconnected to the rumour that about 10 Senators had tested positive to the dreaded Corona Virus, known as COVID-19.

The red chamber had shut down plenary for two weeks, following its resolution after a closed door session which lasted for an hour on Tuesday.

Drama, however, started when the Senate Spokesman arrived at the Senate Press Centre for a routine media chat and journalists started rushing out of the premises, for fear of possible spread of the virus.

Already, about 25 members of the 9th Assembly (10 Senators and 15 Reps Members), are feared infected by the virus.

About 15 Senators, including the Senate Spokesman, Akwashiki, just returned from UK, US and Canada without heeding to the convention of 14-day self-isolation.

A letter signed by the Chief of Staff to President Muhammad Buhari, Abba Kyari, and addressed to the Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, indicted the lawmakers who returned from foreign trips as evading quarantine exercise at the airports, upon their return.

When confronted with question last Thursday on the development, Senator Akwashiki told newsmen that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, frowned at those returnees without been quarantined.

“The Senate President has asked those Senators to go on self-isolation,” Akwashiki told journalists Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Senate is to remain shut down till 7th April, 2020, when the affected lawmakers would have been done with self-isolation order.