.Say: “Lives of 13 million Nigerians in Kano at risk”
“Reports making the rounds indicate that strategic meetings of the dysfunctional Kano State Task Force on COVID-19 as well as Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) are not held unless a particular family member of the State Governor is present. This makes light a responsibility to save the lives of thousands of people in Kano State. Furthermore, and as attested during a recent visit of a delegation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kano, there is a clear leadership vacuum, which is inhibiting quality COVID-19 response in the State.”
No fewer than 12 Civil Society Organizations have petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha demanding urgent federal action to arrest the rapidly degenerating COVID-19 situation in Kano state.
The group which said it was committed to the promotion human rights and ensuring that the core principles of efficiency, transparency, accountability, and inclusion shape the response of government at all levels to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
A statement signed by 12 Civil Society Organizations (CSO) read in part: “A close observation of the COVID-19 situation in Kano State since the index case was recorded on April 11, we find it critical to write to intimate your Task Force on the need for more radical responses to arrest the fast deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Kano. It is pertinent that the attention of the national Task Force under your able leadership gets a deeper understanding of the worrisome realities in Kano State, which have hampered an effective, efficient and sustainable response, which would protect the lives of the people of the State.
“Based on increasing credible reports from communities across the State, if urgent action is not taken by the federal authorities to mitigate the spread of the virus, Kano State runs the risk of becoming a killing field, as COVID-19 continues its rampage. This reality would well be seen in the case of a woman whose viral SOS audio message has been making the rounds on social media after her son-in-law died of complications, which were apparently related to COVID-19. From this citizen’s account, despite repeated calls to the NCDC in Kano, no response whatsoever was received. The State Ministry of Health also showed no capacity or the required acumen to respond to the call for help.
“It took the intervention of the NCDC in Abuja for the distressed family to get some guidance on what to do and where to go. This speaks volumes about the dire situation in Kano. We believe that to beat the virus in the whole of Nigeria, the COVID-19 situation in Kano requires more serious and strategic responses, currently not demonstrated.”
While noting that the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) that should be central in the fight against COVID-19 in Kano is in an ‘apparent operational retreat’, the group maintains that the absence of strategic leadership and institutional capacity in Kano state is a major setback.
The CSOs are further concerned about the lack of coordinated strategic leadership to effectively contain the spread of the virus in Kano State as reports in traditional and social media, suggest strongly that the State COVID-19 Task Force is in disarray, and not functional.
The statement continued: “Stories of political interference in the work of healthcare professionals by influence peddlers have hampered the work of the key vehicle for an effective response. There are increasing complaints within the rank of frontline healthcare professionals to the effect that the political leadership in Kano state is putting personal privileges and partisan considerations above fact-based professional approaches for managing the pandemic.
“Reports making the rounds indicate that strategic meetings of the dysfunctional Kano State Task Force on COVID-19 as well as Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) are not held unless a particular family member of the State Governor is present. This makes light a responsibility to save the lives of thousands of people in Kano State. Furthermore, and as attested during a recent visit of a delegation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kano, there is a clear leadership vacuum, which is inhibiting quality COVID-19 response in the State.”
CSOs lamented that even within the declared lockdown, night intra and interstate movements have continued in clear disregard of the right social behaviour needed and advocated to win the fight against the virus.
“These tendencies continue to enable the spread of the virus, and would no doubt jeopardize national efforts to beat the virus. The life of over 13 million Nigerians who live in Kano State continues to be endangered by these realities. The responsibility is now on the Presidential Task Force under your leadership to urgently and decisively act to re-direct and re-focus the response to COVID-19 in Kano State”, the group stressed.
The petition was signed by the undersigned:
1. Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
2. Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
3. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
4. Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA, Kano Focal Office)
5. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
6. Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP)
7. Human Rights Agenda Network – Nigeria (HIRAN)
8. Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kano State Chapter
9. Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kano
10. Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG)
11. Women Peace and Security Network (WPSN)
12. Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases & Social Vices (YOSPIS)
