The disappearance from the public glare of the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, is generating panic thereby leading to insinuations that the minister has gone into self-isolation after suspected contact with the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who tested positive to Coronavirus on Monday.
National Infinity reports that Kyari had travelled to Germany via Egypt on March 7, 2020, and developed severe cough during a meeting on containing the coronavirus in Nigeria on Sunday.
Ehanire’s last public appearance was on Monday when he presided over a press conference in Abuja to give updates on coronavirus situation in Nigeria.
As the man in charge of the Health ministry, Ehanire is supposed to lead from the front the battle to contain coronavirus in Nigeria but he was conspicuously missing during the receipt of medical items, to contain the spread of coronavirus, donated by China’s richest man, Jack Ma, to Nigeria, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ehanire was represented by the Permanent Secretary at the health ministry, Abdullahi Mashi, who received the items on behalf of the Federal Government.
So also, the minister was scheduled to address a press briefing on coronavirus same Wednesday. After waiting several hours, the press conference was cancelled.
The Punch reported that top officials of the ministry could not confirm if Dr. Ehanire was in self-isolation but confirm his absence from office.
The paper also reported that calls and SMS to his mobile telephone were not responded to.
