Recently, the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, debunked rumours that he was COVID-19 positive in a short video clip, saying anyone wishing that he contacted the disease would be infected with HIV/AIDS.
The claim that HIV/AIDS is deadlier than COVID-19 as presented by Gov. Bello is not true, and his comment is not only stigmatising but in complete violation of the anti-stigmatisation and discrimination law of 2014.
We wish to express disappointment at the governor’s comment, and call for collective condemnation of such discriminatory remark and urge the National Agencyfor the Control of AIDS (NACA) to follow up on this matter; to sensitise the governor against such comments.
Such attitude is a negation of the leadership qualities and inspiration expected from an elected representative of the people, and we advise the governor to give the HIV communities in his state the much-deserved attention.
Research has proven that HIV patients can live normal lives without transmitting it to others; which is called Undetectable equals Untransmissible (U=U).
Therefore, we urge the governor to immediately apologise to persons living with HIV or legal action would be instituted against him.
Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim, National Coordinator, Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN)
