Meningitis Outbreak Is God’s Way Of Punishing Nigerians – Gov Yari

Governor Yari said this while speaking to State House correspondents following a meeting with President Muhammdu Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday.

The menace has claimed over 330 lives across Nigeria since January 2017 with Zamfara the most hit state with about 200 persons killed and several others receiving treatment at various health facilities.

The Nigeria Medical Association in Zamfara had last weekend accused the state government of failing to prepare for the outbreak, despite warnings, and for its slow response to the epidemic.

However, responding to the allegation on Tuesday, Governor Yari said the menace was sent by God for the people’s immoral attitude.

He said: “What we used to know as far as meningitis is concerned is the type A virus. The World Health Organisation, WHO, has carried out vaccinations against this type A virus not just in Zamfara, but many other states.

“However, because people refused to stop their nefarious activities, God now decided to send Type C virus, which has no vaccination.

“People have turned away from God and he has promised that ‘if you do anyhow, you see anyhow’ that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned.

“There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured.” 

The governor also refuted claims his administration failed to respond to the outbreak, saying that he called an emergency meeting comprising of all top state and local government officials and traditional rulers, adding that “the meeting came out with a strategy to be adopted and the money required to deal with the outbreak and a lot of work is going on”.

According to him, the available 5 million doses of the vaccine announced by international organisations against the Type C virus, will not be sufficient for the Zamfara people alone “not to talk of Katsina or Kano,” he said.

He said Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has only 50,000 doses of the vaccine, out of which 20,000 was given to Zamfara state because of the high rate of the disease in the state.

“Our focus as a state now is to continue treating those who are infected with the disease, but as for vaccination, it has an international dimension.

“We have information that Nigeria will get the highest percentage of the 5 million doses available now. Apart from WHO, other International bodies such as the Bill Gates foundation and UNICEF are also currently focusing on how to tackle the outbreak,” he said.

Governor Yari however expressed optimism that the outbreak will be effectively handled and eradicated but stated that “the most important thing is for our people to know that their relationship with God is not smooth. All they need to do is repent and everything will be all right.”