FG’s injection did not cause Monkey Pox in Bayelsa, Rivers –Minister Lai

The Federal Government has denied it was a free medical service it rendered in Bayelsa and Rivers states that led to the outbreak of Monkey Pox currently ravaging some people in those states.

In a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, which was made available to newsmen on Sunday by his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi, the minister described as fake and sinister the report that the outbreak of Monkey Pox in some parts of the country resulted from the alleged free medical care by the government.

He therefore called on Nigerians to disregard the report which, apparently, is being spread by some “unscrupulous persons to fit into a sinister” plan.

He said, “The Federal Government has not conducted any free medical service or care in either Bayelsa or Rivers state, as alleged in the fake report being circulated. So that could not have been the cause of the outbreak of Monkey Pox in both states.

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“Monkey Pox is a virus found only in monkeys and it is rare in human beings. It belongs to the same family as Chicken Pox and Smallpox. It is suspected that someone may have contacted it by eating monkey meat, thus triggering the current outbreak.”

The minister further assured that no effort will be spared in curtailing the spread of the disease.
FG denial of being the cause of the Monkey Pox was in response to alleged reports in social media that the disease was as a result of free medical services the Federal Government carried out in the affected states.

 

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