Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Christogonus Aguwa Osuagwu. His hotel, Fancy Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, used to be one of the fancied hotels around. But since after his death, allegedly, through COVID-19, it has turned into a shadow of its former self. Right now, patronage of the place is nil, as it has been shut down. And, that was after its workers and guests were quarantined, following the information that leaked out that the owner said to have come back from a medical trip to Europe through South Africa and Abuja shortly before taking ill, visited the place, though for a short time, after his return. That was after he returned from his village in Obohia, Ahiazu-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
Announcing the death of the man said to be the second dead victim of the virus, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who did not disclose his identity, explained that his death from the virus was exacerbated by complications arising from some unnamed underlying sickness he had before then.
Our ordeals – Hotel manager
Following the announcement, 14 staff of his hotel and nine guests that were lodged in the hotel within the specified period were quarantined until they were certified that they no longer constituted a health-risk to the society, following their close contacts with the deceased. Saturday Sun learnt that people who have had contacts with them, at various times, have also been asked to report at the Imo State isolation centre for a closer observation and examination. Though they had been discharged, George Nwajigoro, the General Manager of the hotel and one of the 23 quarantined souls recounted their ordeals to our correspondent and said they did not find them pleasant.
In his account, he condemned what he alleged to be ill-treatment by both the state government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). He claimed that they subjected quarantined staff and guests to hunger and starvation. He complained that they were not being given food on time and of running out of gas for cooking and diesel for powering generators at a point, with nobody caring.
In his own comment, the state chairman of the Imo State Hoteliers Association of Nigeria, Chima Chukwunyere, corroborated his story. He said that after seeing their suffering, that he have to use his own money to buy some foodstuffs and firewood for them to cook with, without waiting for the general contribution of the members of the association. He noted that since the state government decided to quarantine them for the general good of the society before knowing whether to give them a clean bill of health or not, they should have made adequate provision for their needs.
“I had to buy a bunch of firewood and some diesel for them when they told me that their cooking gas has been exhausted and that they don’t even have electricity supply again to charge their phones to enable them call their loved ones,” he said. “The state government could provide for them only half bag of rice, N500 worth of meat, few tubers of yam and one litre of palm oil.”
All the same, the circumstances surrounding the death of Christogonus, owner of the hotel, has continued to generate controversy. While some, including the government, has continued to maintain that he died of COVID-19, his colleagues and family members have continued to insist that he died of complications arising from some other ailments, some say kidney infections, some say pneumonia.
Continuing controversy after death
According to his elder brother, Mr. Declan Osuagwu, his younger brother died of pneumonia, an ailment which he said he had been battling with for a long time. He explained that the reason Christogonus went to the village after returning from overseas, on a medical trip, was to discuss an issue that arose over a piece of land he purchased. It was when he arrived from the village that he stopped over briefly at the hotel, en route Abuja. But sources say that on arrival, he went straight to his Owerri hotel office, without exchanging pleasantries with, or acknowledging greetings from anybody.
However, in Abuja he was diagnosed of the disease which, by then, had become full-blown because it was not discovered early enough as its symptoms happened also to be the symptoms of the underlying sickness he was suffering from. He was subsequently quarantined but he later succumbed to the attack. Following the news of his death and the circumstances surrounding it, operatives of Department of State Security (DSS) quickly cordoned off the hotel, located in a part of Owerri called Umuguma, and asked staff and guests not to step out but to stay and observe the 14-days mandatory quarantine before they can be allowed to begin to mingle with the rest of the society.
Even so, news and information concerning them have never ceased to generate anxiety in some parts of the state. After surviving the hurdles of their quarantine, the state government was accused of allegedly giving them N10, 000 each for transportation and asking them to go without proper testing. But a statement issued by the government said they were let go when they didn’t show any symptom of the disease. They have also been ordered, reportedly to continue the quarantine in their various homes for seven days. But all the same, their discharge in light of claims and counterclaims about the health status of the hotel owner, have continued to generate panic in some quarters.
Another issue that is generating fear is that although the state government disclosed their intention to fumigate the hotel some of the stories flying around said that they are yet to do so. Our correspondent found it under lock-and-key when he visited the place.
State government reacts
Reacting to the allegations, the Chief Press Secretary to Imo State Governor, Oguike Nwachukwu, dismissed them as baseless, adding that they were being sponsored by members of the opposition party in order to discredit the noble work that the state government is doing to fight the pandemic.
He explained that whatever action was taken in respect of the Fancy Hotel staffers and guests was done as advised by the State’s Committee on COVID-19 led by Prof. Maurice Iwu. He noted that the committee would have ensured that those quarantined in the hotel were tested for the virus if there was need for that.
His words: “Before now the narrative had been different; it was that government abandoned them. I am surprised that somebody is saying that government did something at all. I want to believe that the opposition is instigating all these rumours and allegations. There is no truth in the allegations. It’s part of the propaganda agenda against the government. They should be grateful to government for taking steps to ensure that their lives were protected.
“They are aware of the Prof. Maurice Iwu-led COVID-19 committee; so, if the committee felt that they needed to be tested, it would have recommended that. It was the committee that said that the place should be sealed off; the same committee recommended that they should be freed. But if they feel that they are sick, they know how to go to the isolation centres.
“The Iwu committee directed that Owerri should be fumigated and that was done. It was from their advice that Orlu was fumigated too. Although government would not go from house-to-house to carry out fumigation, but if the committee saw the need to fumigate Fancy Hotel, it would have done that. In all, these same people had said there was no isolation centre in Imo, but I am happy the narrative has changed. They have all seen isolation centres in Imo.”