He challenged the originators of such rumour to name the commissioners suspected or confirmed to have been down with COVID-19 and the location where they are taking treatment.

According to him, the executive members have been working to help the state COVID-19 Committee to prevent spread of the pandemic in the state.

“To state the obvious, on Friday the April 17, we all gathered at the Exco chambers where we had the usual state executive meeting with the governor.

“Why would someone cook up lies at this particular time where we all need encouragement, support, and positivity to keep us going day by day?

“As the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Works handling the ongoing construction of the Isolation Centre at Ituk Mbang, I have had my colleagues stop-by everyday to see the progress of the work done.

“I challenge the writer to name the nine commissioners and the location where they are taking treatment,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that there has been rumours in the social media that nine commissioners in the state executive council test positive to COVID-19 and were receiving treatment secretly.