Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reacted to a report that he has caught coronavirus.
It was reported that he, along some other Federal Government officials, had contracted the pandemic.
He however refuted the report on Saturday, saying it was fake news.
He said, “I read the story and we still have a great battle on our hands on fake news and mischievous reporting. I was in the public view on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I was at FEC on Wednesday. I coordinated press briefing on Thursday for the extraordinary EFC meeting. And the minister of power and I addressed media.
“On Friday, I witnessed the swearing-in for minister of state for power after which we had a security meeting. How can someone who has had such high level engagements for three days consecutively be ill?
“It is nothing but fake news. I am hale and hearty. Not only that, I have taken the two doses of the vaccine. I have also taken the Pfizer booster. I am a member of PSC and I am hale and hearty and I am performing at optimum level.”
‘Premium Times’ had reported that COVID-19 was ravaging the Presidential Villa. The newspaper said Mohammed as well as several other Villa officials including the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijani Umar; the President’s Aide-de-camp, Yusuf Dodo; his chief security officer, Aliyu Musa, and his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had contracted the virus.
Meanwhile, Shehu has confirmed that he has caught the disease and that he is in isolation.
