S’East economy too weak to contain explosion of virus transmission

· Enugu orders probe of report linking case with Jigawa
Indications have emerged that the economy of the South East lacked the required capacity and too weak to contain a possible explosion of coronavirus in the region.
This is based on the low revenue generated across the five states of the zone, which is said to be unable to meet their recurrent expenditures and which make states of the zone to resort to huge borrowings and reliance on federal allocation.
So far, the zone has posted the least number of positive cases of the virus since it was reported in the country some months ago having recorded only five cases. Two cases in Enugu have been treated and discharged, while Abia and Anambra states are still battling with two and one case respectively.
However, a development economist, Dr. Chiwuike Uba, said claims that the South East has one of the strongest economies in Nigeria had not been supported by current realities, stressing that the zone had resorted to huge borrowings to survive due to insufficient revenues.
Meanwhile, Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has ordered a thorough investigation of the controversial reports linking Jigawa State index case to Enugu State.
Initial reports attributed to an official of the Jigawa State government had claimed that the index case developed symptoms of the virus after returning to the state from Enugu, adding that the affected case had been isolated for contact tracing, while another report said the index case was a returnee from Kano State.
A statement from the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ikechukwu Obi, noted, “The report of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Jigawa State, with alleged travel history from Enugu State is currently being investigated.”