Lai Mohammed denies carrying COVID-19 to FEC, other meetings at Presidential Villa

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture has denied contracting Covid-19.

There were reports in the Nigeria media that Lai Mohammed had contracted the Covid-19 virus and that he is now in isolation, receiving treatment.

But a statement from the Minister’s office signed by Segun Adeyemi, his Spokesman, said the Minister does not have Covid-19 and was neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere.

The statement said that the Minister was at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, an extraordinary FEC meeting on Thursday and also witnessed the swearing-in of the Minister of State for Works and Housing by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday.

The Minister’s office noted that all the above events took place at the Presidential Villa and that Lai Mohammed even coordinated the post-FEC press briefing on Wednesday and Thursday.

It said that there was no way the Minister, who is a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, and has to lead by example, would not have hesitated to publicly announce his Covid-19 status if indeed he has contracted the virus.

“After all, he is not only fully vaccinated, he has also taken the booster shot, a situation that offers him different layers of protection even if he contracts the virus. For those who contract the virus, they deserve our empathy and prayers, not stigmatization,” the statement added.