Kano deaths: Presidency warns against politicisation, says Buhari is interested in preserving lives

Presidency has warned against politicisation of the mysterious death that has claimed about 700 lives in Kano, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari is doing everything to unravel the cause of the problem.

 In a statement by Presidential Spokesman,  Garba Shehu, Presidency however, called on all concerned  to work together and  “be prepared to accept the medical and scientific result of the autopsies and work together to confront the common enemy.”

Shehu, while noting that there is no time for energy wasted on political point-scoring, whether by current or former holders of office – or for any differences between state and federal administrations to be publicly aired, added that “this is no time for talk. Our common purpose is to preserve the lives and health of citizens.”

He stated that Nigeria is only weeks into the fight against the invisible COVID-19 that, earlier this year, was unknown to almost every nation in the world.

He noted that only earlier this month, Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, made clear that “we are at the beginning in Africa.

“There is much that remains unknown about this virus. What we do know is that global infections rates continue to rise each day – even when in some nations affected some time before Nigeria, the daily rate of infection is now slowing.

“We know too that there is a global shortage of personal protective equipment, virus testing kits and other medical devices required to fight this pandemic.

“And we also know that in each and every country there are some cities and regions more severely affected than others.

“In Nigeria, there are currently verbal autopsies underway in Kano State to identify the precise cause of the sudden and rapid increase in mortality in recent days.

“While some may wish to believe that there are other causes at play here like hypertension, diabetes, meningitis, and acute malaria’, there are others who say it is COVID-19,” he said.

He noted that  all over the world, communities with similar socio-economic dynamics like Kano have found as very helpful, the sort of lockdown measures now imposed, with markets and other public places of worship shuttered more strictly.

Shehu assured the people of Kano that the President and his government are with the people of Kano State and will not let them down.

” If there is reason to believe that the mortality rate in Kano due to COVID-19 is out of control, it will spell a serious development to which the best action would be for the federal government and the state government to work more closely together to find solutions and implement together.