Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Kano is a litmus test to winning the battle against the pandemic in Nigeria.
Kano has had an upsurge of infections and deaths, while many other deaths have remained inexplicable coming back to back.
The State Governor, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, shocked observers when he announced a unilateral relaxation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s two weeks lockdown. Within hours, he reversed himself.
Kano is being fingered for the rash of the spread of the pandemic to some States in the north with the government’s decision to ship hundreds of thousands of almajiris back to their states of origin.
Meanwhile Atiku called on the Federal Government and all the agencies involved in the fight against the pandemic to collaborate with the Kano State government to stem the spread of the plague in the state.
Atiku stresses that checkmating the pandemic in the state is one sure way of ensuring the safety of people in the surrounding states to Kano, other parts of the North and the country.
The former Vice President expresses his deepest condolences over the spate of deaths in Kano state in recent times, and counsels that efforts should be geared towards providing plausible explanation of the situation for the good of the people of the state.
Atiku has also expressed sympathy and solidarity with the family of media mogul, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi and members of his family who tested positive to Covid-19.
In a press statement released by the Atiku Media Office, he called on all well-meaning Nigerians to put the matter of the speedy recovery of Chief Dokpesi and his family, and other victims of the Covid-19 pandemic in prayers.
The former Vice President describes Chief Dokpesi as a patriotic and law-abiding Nigerian for the way he cooperated with the NCDC to carry out the test on him, his staff and entire family when it was earlier discovered that his son had tested positive.
He notes that Dokpesi is not among those people who would, because of the position and influence they occupy and wield in society, be shy to perform a civic duty.
“He is indeed a role model worthy of emulation”.
He urges Nigerians, in the face of the prospects of the relaxation of restrictions of the past five weeks, to continue to abide by all the known protocols set out by the NCDC. These protocols according to the former Vice President are washing hands, avoiding crowded areas, observing social distancing, using face masks and hand sanitizers to be able to achieve victory over the pandemic and roll back the situation by stopping further infections.