SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, (THEWILL) – Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on media and publicity to the president, had confirmed reports that some presidential appointees who attended the burial of Abba Kyari were barred from Aso Rock.
Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, died of complications from COVID-19 on Friday and was buried on Saturday at Gudu Cemetry in Abuja according to Islamic rites.
THEWILL had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari was not happy that the aides decided to violate clear protocols and guidelines of the NCDC and he directed that they should keep off the Presidential Villa to undergo self-isolation.
Some of the aides reportedly barred from the villa include State House Chief Protocol Officer, Lawal Kazaure; Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu; a nephew to the president, Musa Daura, and Mr Shehu.
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Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, among several more persons.
However, in a series of tweet, MShehu stated that the directive to stay away from the villa is not out of place as it is aimed at stopping further spread of COVID-19.
“There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attend Abba Kyari’s funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa.
“This is in line with the standard rules put in place by the National Center for Disease Control, @NCDCgov and the Federal Ministry of Health. You do these things to stop the spread of #Coronavirus.
“For the most part, the Villa has operated digitally in the last few weeks so there is really nothing new to this,” he said.
