The political dynamics of Coro-war in Kano became pronounced following the worrisome incidents of mysterious deaths in the state. By the way, mysterious deaths and illnesses have become a part of our coro odyssey as they have occurred in Bauchi, Jigawa, and many other parts of the country. It all started when the government on 26/4/20, acknowledged the mysterious deaths, stated that investigations were ongoing but declared that the deaths were not connected with coro but were rather caused by complications hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria. 600 mysterious deaths occurred in 7 days, and most of them were eminent people (including Ibrahim Ayagi) a situation that almost resulted in grave-diggers strike. But does it mean that multiple deaths are not sources of worry long as they were not CORO-related?
Furthermore, the FG did not immediately say or do anything about the matter, an action some people interpreted to mean that the PMB government doesn’t care about “a whole” Kano state. This happened when the coro-fire was already raging and there were underground disaffections because the governor was handling the matter as a family-affair as his small-girl doctor was allegedly in charge of the operations (even if discreetly). People knocked Ganduje over his cluelessness on the matter with one Olufumilayo wondering why a government that was quick to split the emirate, appoint (and swore-in) new emirs, sack Emir Sanusi and exonerate the Governor-dollar allegation suddenly became clueless with the mysterious deaths and coro.
Then the PDP jumped into the ring, demanding a presidential visit and an immediate investigation into the mysterious multiple deaths and condemning the governor’s handling of the matter. As expected, the APC responded in kind, describing the PDP comment as “a desperate attempt by the opposition party to play petty politics with a serious matter of national and international importance”. And then Garba Shehu, whose main job description is “igha-aja” (mudslinging) against any contrary spirit warned against attempts to politicise the mysterious Kanio deaths declaring that it was “not the time to waste energy on political point-scoring by current or former office holders” or orchestrate any differences between the Federal and State government
All this happened at a time when the Kano testing facilities were in disarray with some of the staff testing positive to the extent that the centre was closed. The Governor went to the BBC Hausa Service to hit the FG below the belt lamenting “Sincerely speaking, we are not getting deserved attention. If these equipment (testing centres) are under our control, we will do our best to make sure it works properly. But we are not getting the needed support and cooperation from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.” (hmmmm!) Kwankwanso, the former governor then wrote an open letter (everybody has now learnt from Obasanjo), asking the FG to take over the Coro-war in Kano because there was poor leadership (Politics?).
He premised his letter on the very scary rise in the number of people that are mysterious dying in Kano. the uncoordinated and unprofessional manner in which the fight against the disease in Kano state is being waged and the attendant and unprecedented mistrust of the government by the governed; the near absence of cooperation and coordination between the state and the federal government on the COVID-19 response; the frightening reality of the tendency of the present health emergency might become a security emergency. As all this was going on, the Kano State government accused a former NHIS boss, Usman Yusuf of playing politics with Coro because the Prof had alleged that Ganduje was distributing the disease across the North. The Commissioner for talk-talk also reminded all of the incapacitated Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, was owned by the federal government, and that the state had no control over the testing centre. He then accused the Prof of playing politics with the disease, with the core objective of denting the sparkling image of the Governor Ganduje and ultimately igniting crises in the state., regretting that he chose the political path rather than collaborating with the state to address some of these issues.
The governor who had accused the FG of abandoning Kano eventually cried to the FG to “come over to Macedonia to help us” (Acts 16:9). The Federal Government did so in a big way. While it was sending one or two miserable trucks of contested quality products to other states, it sent an armada 110 Trucks (yes, one hundred and ten trucks) of items to kano. The NCDC also sent a special team to the state, which resorted to the unusual practice of verbal autopsy. The NCDC then announced that the deaths in Kano were Coro-related, stating that it had 5 cogent reasons to believe so. However, when the FG imposed a curfew on Kano, the same governor begged the Government to relax the curfew on “behalf of our people who are presently running out of food items” Two days later, the governor adopted a modified curfew option of free movement in the state between 10am and 4pm on Mondays and Thursdays and opening of Ya’nkaba and Ya’nlemo markets where vegetables and fruits are sold.
So, the governor asked the FG to intervene and when the FG intervened via curfew, the governor modified the curfew. The governor was also one of the very first governors to open up the state for religious activities, in the interest of “my people”. Indeed, everything was and is for my-people, my people! To what extent do his people believe that coro is real and take responsibility for their safety? I don’t know but some of the boys were playing coro-football-tournament during the lockdown while there were allegations that the distancing and crowd protocols were not observed during the burial of the emir of Rano. But that is by the way!
Other matters: Zulum, another professor governor
I did not know much about Babagana Zulum, the Professor-Governor of Borno state but on 7/2/20, he earned my attention and admiration. One day and one event are enough for me to “know” him. After all, as our people would ask, how many lions should somebody kill before he becomes an Ogbu-Agu(lion-killer)? The day started like every other normal day and the governor started it in a manner that appears to have become in “his character”. He had paid an unscheduled, cock-crow visit to Shehu Sanda Kyarimi 2 Primary School to undertake an on-the-spot infrastructure needs assessment and was positively shocked to meet Mrs Mazi, a L12 teacher at the school around 6.30 am. She hails from Abia State and has been teaching for 31 years and was still a class-room teacher.
The governor gave her a cash reward of N100,000.00( about her 3 months’ salary) and directed the State Universal Basic Education Board to review her records after which she was promoted to an Assistant Headmistress, saying “Her gender, tribe, religion or state of origin does not surprise me but her passion, enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and above all patriotism do surprise me a lot. As a government, we are mightily proud of her!” Some appreciative Bornoits also gifted her a sum of N1m. I noted his GWBA (government by wandering about) style, his prioritization of commitment against primordial concerns and the lady’s immediate and long-term benefit for dedicated services, and moved on to other matters. On 22/5/20, Governor Zulum struck again. He paid an unscheduled visit to 6 LGAs (Chibok, Bama, Gwoza, Damboa, Konduga and Askira-Uba) and found that the chairmen, secretaries and other top officials were nowhere to be seen. They were on duty by their ABSENCE! That was two weeks after the ease of lockdown.
The Professor-Governor had heard that executives of these LGAs were “notorious for abandoning their local government to operate in Maiduguri only to return there for a few days when allocations are received, or when they know the governor is heading there”. Even the ‘Gwoza LGA new secretariat which he commissioned a few months ago was locked’ and all this despite the fact that “We have been pleading with them for quite some time to operate from these local government areas so that citizens will feel the impact of governance at the grassroots but from all indication, many are not listening”. Again, government by wandering about. He heard and went on to confirm. It also shows how our LGAs operate, across the land
On 3/6/20, he paid an unscheduled visit to Ngala General Hospital around 11am and all resident medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians and clerks were “out of stock”. The only people around were staff of a humanitarian organisation, fhi360, who had come to complement the efforts of the state staff! So, the shepherds abandoned the sheep while some hired hands stayed on, rather than the other way round! (John 10:12) And on 9/6/20, Governors presence and “action” was felt at the Indimi Estate, meant to accommodate displaced persons. As usual in Nigeria, those who needed the houses could not get it and those who did not need it (but probably had long legs) had possession of the houses. Governor Bulum immediately cancelled all the allocation to the absentee landlords and reallocated the houses instantly to those who were on the ground, who needed it.
Prof ZULUM has optimized the GBWA strategy; he has shown disdain for criminal absenteeism, which characterizes our civil service, especially in the LGAs, he has rewarded dedication without minding gender or “state of origin”, he has preached integrity by his actions and does not believe in the circus-shows that characterise official visits, where roads are patched, offices painted and fake efforts made overnight to impress the visiting governor. He has also turned unscheduled visits into an effective instrument of governance I had preached (in behavioural communication) that the best way to enforce punctuality is by action, not by circulars.
I am sure that every Bornoit will now be punctual, because they don’t know when the ubiquitous governor would come calling. And like Ayede, another Professor Governor, this one read a SERIOUS course: Soil & Water Engineering! Professor Bulum; for taking the act of governance serious and for making us PROUD, Na you biko!
