Covid 19:Come To Our Aid,Ganduje Cries Out

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has called on the federal government to come to the aid of the state through the provision of funds and facilities to curb the menace of COVID-19 pandemic. Kano State, as at Tuesday had 59 cases, only behind the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos State in number of infections. Speaking yesterday, Ganduje said, “So far, we do not have any serious case in the state; however, we need to get prepared. We need additional testing centers; we need vehicles and protection kits; we need coordination; we need rapid responses, and we need palliative”.

He spoke when he received the Director-General, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, at the Government House, Kano. He further said that though the state had not recorded any case outside Kano metropolis, by the time it witnesses community transmission of the disease, it would be difficult for the government to contain the situation, which necessitates early preparation. He noted that the state had not received any assistance from the federal government so far, saying “Kano is the 3rd on the list of states with high number of COVID-19 cases, and it is the most populated state in the federation, therefore needs financial support from the federal government”.

Earlier, the Director General, NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said he was in Kano to demonstrate support to the government in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, while lauding the government’s effort in the fight to contain the virus. “To succeed in the fight against COVID-19, one must have a strong team; from what I saw, no state in the federation has a stronger team than that of Kano,” he said. He said the rising cases of COVID-19 in Kano were not unexpected, considering its population, and assured that the federal and state governments have a collective responsibility to contain the situation. Speaking also, some residents noted that if Lagos State could be supported financially to fight the disease, Kano State, being third on the list of states with the highest number of cases should equally be assisted financially.