Kwankwaso Writes Buhari On Kano’s Mysterious Deaths

A former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Monday wrote President Muhammadu Buhari on the escalating incidences of mysterious deaths in the state.

The former governor, who alleged in the letter that it was COVID-19 and not malaria causing the deaths in the state, urged Buhari to quickly intervene.

Apart from the rise in mysterious deaths, Kwankwaso also mentioned four other reasons for which he decided to write the president.

These, he said, included the inept handling of fight against the disease in the state, the near absence of cooperation and coordination between the state and the federal government on the COVID-19 response; the scary possibility of the situation degenerating into a security emergency and also, to offer suggestions on how the pandemic should be handled not only in Kano State but also at the national level.

Kwankwaso described the state’s COVID-19 committee as ‘a contraption of cronies that are both unqualified and incompetent,’ urging President Buhari to mandate an independent federal government team of experts to investigate the rise in cases of deaths in the state.

He stated, “The situation in the state should not be seen by Mr. President as a state government matter that should be left to the state. The lives of tens of millions of Nigerians living in Kano state is at stake, as such the central government should be seen to be actively involved in caring for, and saving their lives.

“The federal government should take over the responsibility of rapid response on coronavirus in the state; The State Government should be made to constitute a proper State Taskforce on COVID-19 with members selected base on their professionalism and competence.”

The former governor also asked for at least, five additional test centres to be established with 10 other sample collection centres across the state, while the COVID-19 Taskforce should designate trained medical personnel in all cemeteries across the state to collect records of all deaths.

“Another team of medical personnel follow up with inquiry of the cause of death,” he noted.

Kwankwaso added, “Furthermore, those that attended to the sick and those that prepared the dead body for burial should also be identified, isolated and contact traced for testing; Since it is undeniable that there is a spike in the number of death and it is probable that these deaths are either as a result of COVID-19 or some other illness, the State Government and citizens should treat and consider all deaths as if it is caused by the virus; therefore all protocols as advised by medical experts be observed whenever death occurs;

“An independent Federal Government team of experts should be mandated to investigate the rise in cases of death in the elderly population across the State.