Aisha Oyebode-Muhammed, daughter of late ex-Head of State, late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, has commented on the increasing death of residents in Kano State.
A letter she addressed to Governor Umar Ganduje on Monday warned of “horrendous catastrophe” if the state government failed to act fast.
Oyebode-Muhammed, in the note made available to DAILY POST, advised the authorities to embrace “a fatalist view of the situation or remain in denial”.
The head of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) declared that the situation in her home state deserved a strong leadership action.
Oyebode-Muhammed lamented that Kano already had considerable developmental challenges that are threatened to be compounded by the mysterious killer-illnesses and the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have a huge population, endemic poverty and high rates of illiteracy amongst other indicators that make us extremely vulnerable. This portends a horrendous catastrophe for our people if, God forbid, we lose the war against COVID 19.”
The author recommended seven steps that should be taken urgently to manage the current state of uncertainty.
“Declare a State of Emergency in Kano State with immediate effect; exercise your powers as Governor to lock down the entire Kano State and work with the Nigerian security forces to enforce this; embark on a community awareness program to sensitize all indigenes and residents of the state to protocols that have been prescribed by the WHO including hand washing, social distancing, use of face masks and self-isolation”, she said.
The MMF boss advocated “wartime strategies” to minimize the spread of the virus. These include the conversion of facilities such as boarding schools and university accommodation to COVID-19 Isolation Centres.
Oyebode-Muhammed tasked the Ganduje administration to practice intense tracing, categorization and management of contacts; provide health care workers on the frontline with adequate protective equipment; adopt Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines in dealing with those who have been confirmed infected and enforce adherence to guidelines for the burial of the deceased.
“Nigeria and indeed Africa, have been lucky, as our treatment outcomes so far have been remarkable. Therefore, urgent and coordinated action must be taken and the support of all stakeholders must be sought to turn the tide against this aggressive contagion in Kano State, to save us from the dire projected outcomes.
“Your Excellency, we are looking to you for direction and leadership at this time, and assure you of our support and that of many well-meaning individuals and institutions within and outside the state. Every minute counts! May God help us!”, the letter concluded