Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has lambasted Governor Umar Ganduje of denying the mass deaths recorded in the State
Kwankwaso, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the State government has failed to provide the desired leadership required at this critical time adding that Ganduje was being partisan.
He revealed that the government palliatives are being distributed based on political patronage (4 persons in each polling unit of 500 persons).
He, therefore, called for an additional five test centres and 10 other sample collection centres across the State.
Kwakwaso also urged the State Government and citizens to treat and consider all deaths as if it is caused by the virus.
He further commended Nigerians and the federal government, all health workers for their support and cooperation in the fight against the pandemic.
“Mr. President in times of crisis like this, we require a robust and unifying leadership that will assure the citizens that it understands and shares its concerns; but unfortunately, the State Government is even denying that there is an unusual surge in the number of deaths in the state. This denial has also cultivated mistrust and doubt on the part of the citizens as the state government has failed to provide the desired leadership required at a critical time like this.
“Mr. President everywhere in the world, the fight against pandemic is being spearheaded and superintended by central governments. The WHO and such other global bodies, for example, have no business liaising with states on matters of a global pandemic.
”But right from the first recorded case in Kano, the state government was in a tug of war with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the federal agency vested with the responsibility of coordinating the fight against the disease.
“Palliatives should be generous and general. The virus does not belong to any political party just as hunger and poverty are not partisan.”