Ajimobi Submits Self For HIV Test, Warns Against Stigma

The Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and some members of the state executive council, yesterday subjected themselves to HIV/AIDS tests, with Ajimobi calling on the people not to stigmatise those who are afflicted with the disease.

The exercise was carried out during the inauguration of a mass testing and counselling on HIV tagged “Know Your Status”, as part of activities marking the World AIDS Day.

While addressing the gathering at the function, Governor Ajimobi said that the free HIV testing and counselling embarked upon by the Oyo State Agency for Control of AIDS (SACA) was part of the government’s resolve to eliminate the scourge of HIV from the state.

He said HIV/AIDS had been a major challenge to the whole world, stressing that the havoc caused by the disease has impressed it upon the government that the battle against HIV/AIDS should be a collective effort.

“Not only is HIV/AIDS real, its havoc is vivid for all to see. In many countries in Africa, the reality of its corrosive nature has forced the people to see the disease as more fatal to society than a war. It is said that even in a war situation, a nation cannot lose as many as it loses to the unguarded missiles of HIV/AIDS spread. If the loss of the disease is comparable to that of a war situation, it is thus incumbent on a nation to prepare its frontiers against the missiles of this subtle war,” the governor said.

Governor Ajimobi also counselled members of the public against stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS patients which he noted, is the greatest killer to people living with the disease.