COVID-19: We’re in serious trouble in Kano, says Ganduje

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, says the state is in trouble due to the presence of the coronavirus disease.

Speaking on Sunday at the presentation of a COVID-19 Mobile Testing Centre donated by the Dangote Foundation to the state, Ganduje said the delay in testing suspected cases was responsible for the exploding number of coronavirus infections in the state.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, the governor said the absence of functional testing centres in the state worsened its situation amid the pandemic.

Ganduje said, “There is no doubt that Kano is in trouble. And there is no doubt that we started on a shaky foundation. When samples were taken to Abuja for 7 hours and came back again in 7 hours, that was the shaky foundation I am talking about.

“We then lodged our complaint to President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered for the establishment of a Testing Centre at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, which after take-off was shut down for some days if not weeks. That was what escalated the transmission of the disease up to community transmission.

“But with the coming back of the AKTH Testing Centre and the addition of Bayero University, Kano that has the capacity of testing about 200 samples per day now, with the coming of Dangote Mobile Testing Centre of 400 samples capacity, we are making headway in facing the crisis squarely.”

Also present at the event, the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, was quoted to have said, “I just want the people of Kano to understand that we have not left you. We are behind you hundred per cent.

“I want to assure you that, by the time we hear from the findings of Dr Nasiru Sani Gwarzo’s team from the Presidential Task Force, for the days they have been here, we will have more solutions that we will use in solving the problems from Kano.”

According to the NCDC as of the time of filing this report, 313 coronavirus infections have been reported in the state.