Prayers are raining like confetti at the bedside of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who has reportedly contracted the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Though devout Moslems, Ajimobi’s family has decided not to depend on just orthodox medicine alone for the survival of their patriarch; they have been recruiting prayer warriors across religious divides and from different parts of the universe for God and the gods to see him through this phase.
Their fear is understandable. The COVID-19 has killed more people in their 60s and above than younger people. Ajimobi turned 70 last December. He is also being treated at the First Cardiology Consultants Hospital, Ikoyi, Lagos, where Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, was hospitalised and later died of the same ailment. Kyari was 67.
While the hospital claims to be the avant-garde providers of cardiology and cardiovascular services of the highest quality in Nigeria, the family of the first-ever two-term governor of Oyo State is not leaving anything to chance. Before he tested positive for the deadly virus, Ajimobi, who was recently picked as the National Deputy Chairman, Southwest, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had been an advocate of all safety measures to keep the pandemic at bay.
When his successor, Governor Seyi Makinde tested positive for COVID-19, Ajimobi was reported as saying that he sent the governor a text message to express solidarity and wish him a quick recovery and God’s protection. Ajimobi also stated, “COVID-19-is not a death sentence, people have recovered from it. We will get over this too, but we must continue to ensure that we follow all safety measures like washing of hands, social-distancing and other safety standards as recommended by our health professionals. As for all our health workers, we appreciate them for their front line role in the fight against the disease,” he said.
