Akwa Ibom State Government, on Friday, ordered the removal from office of Dr. Aniekeme Uwah, the state epidemiologist.

DAILY POST gathered that Uwah was sacked for allegedly taking about 30 samples of COVID-19 suspected cases for testing against the wishes of the Commissioner of health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong who wanted only 10 to be sent out.

A source close to the Nigeria Medical Association in the State, who confirmed his removal on condition of anonymity said “the Epidemiologist, Dr Aniekeme Uwah, has been removed from office for taking samples of COVID-19 suspected cases against the wishes of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Inyang Ukpong.

“Yesterday, I learnt Dr Uwah had supervised over 30 samples sent for COVID-19 tests, a step that obviously angered the commissioner for health who wanted not more than 10 to be sent”.

The sack of the epidemiologist has brought to the fore the lingering crisis in the health sector between the commissioner and the health workers in the state which began when they walked out on the commissioner for not inviting NMA to a stakeholders’ meeting on COVID19 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.

The source expressed dismay that the government is merely mouthing its readiness to carry out “massive community testing” of COVID-19 as a strategy to contain the spread of the pandemic in the state.

He said, “This is greatly dampening the morale of the medical personnel. How can we be having this kind of issue at a crucial time like this?”

The state Commissioner of health, Dr Dominic Ukpong could not pick his calls to react to the issues as of the time of filing this report.

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You people are politicizing covid-19

Just because he took out extra samples for tests and you sacked him

The same governor disagreed with ncdc covid-19 test results for akwa ibom.

You should stop trying to mask the level of covid-19 in akwa ibom, After all you have won second term, you have nothing to lose.

Allow sufficient testing so you can isolate sheep from goat and save your people and state from becoming an epicentre

What game is Udom playing with the lives of Akwa Ibom people? All these hyping of standard isolation centres is purely rubbish. I realised the truth about the politics ongoing in the state on Covid19 issue when I read about the mishandling of the late Dr Dominic Essien's treatment at the so called Ibom Specialist hospital (which I posted here). Akwa Ibom is simply playing politics with the lives of its citizens.

The good thing is that Covid19 respects no position or authority, it will find them, the so called leaders too.

I said it just yesterday that they will soon begin to suppress the figure to score political points. Now it has began, let's watch the game

Na wa. This should be moved to frontpage

this should be a time for good governance not politics please
people's life is at stake here

this is the same commissioner for health that rejected the initial 5 cases reported by the NCDC.