Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase, made this known on Monday while reacting to a media report alleging that Ortom’s absence had paralysed government’s activities in the state.
“As we earlier clarified, government activities have not paralyzed in Benue State. We earlier stated that following the Covid-19 status of some of the Governor’s close aides including his personal physician, his aide de camp and orderly, he had to go into self-isolation as the protocol on prevention of the virus demands,” he stated.
Daily Trust correspondent reports that the deputy governor, Engr Benson Abounu, on January 10, 2021 while representing his boss at the Armed Forces Remembrance interdenominational service in Makurdi, noted that the governor went into isolation because some of his aides tested positive for Coronavirus.
It was however gathered that Ortom had remained in isolation since then because more of his closest aides contracted the disease.
Abounu had since the beginning of the year represented the governor at most public functions while Ortom himself held several virtual meetings with different groups.
