Murtala Muhammed’s daughter seeks ‘war time’ strategies on Kano Convid-19 deaths

The eldest child of the former Head of State, late General Murtala Muhammed,  Mrs Aisha Oyebode-Muhammed has called for a war-time strategies among other measures to check the increasing deaths of residents in Kano state over the dreaded Convid-19 pandemic.

Oyebode-Muhammed, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) declared that the situation in her homestate deserved a strong leadership action, and not to adopt a fatalist view of the situation or remain in denial. 

In an opened letter to the state governor, Abduallai Umar Ganduje, copy which was made available to newsmen in Lagos, on Monday, Oyebode-Muhammed lamented that “Kano state already has considerable developmental challenges that threaten to be compounded by this pandemic. We have a huge population, endemic poverty and high rates of illiteracy amongst other indicators that make us extremely vulnerable. This portends horrendous catastrophe for our people if, God forbid, we lose the war against COVID 19. I therefore entreat you to take necessary action to urgently address this predicament and save the people of Kano. 

She however recommended a 7-point steps as a way forward, which according to her demanded urgent and cordinated actions.

“Some of the steps I would like to suggest are:
• Declare a State of Emergency in Kano State with immediate effect
• Exercise your powers as Governor to lockdown the entire Kano State and work with the Nigerian security forces to enforce this.
• Embark on a community awareness program to sensitize all indigenes and residents of the state to protocols that have been prescribed by the WHO including: hand washing, social distancing, use of face masks and self-isolation 
• Adopt wartime strategies to minimize the spread of the virus, which would include commandeering existing infrastructure as isolation centres, in particular repurposing boarding schools and university accommodation as much needed beds for the sick.
• Practice intense tracing, categorization and management of contacts.
• Provide health care workers on the frontline with adequate PPEs.
• Adopt NCDC guidelines in dealing with those who have been confirmed infected, as well as enforce adherence to guidelines for the burial of the deceased.

“Nigeria and indeed Africa, have been lucky, as our treatment outcomes so far have been remarkable. Therefore, urgent and coordinated action must be taken and the support of all stakeholders must be sought to turn the tide against this aggressive contagion in Kano State, to save us from the dire projected outcomes. 

“Your Excellency, we are looking to you for direction and leadership at this time, and assure you of our support and that of many well-meaning individuals and institutions within and outside the state.

Every minute counts! May God help us!,” the MMF chief executive officer stated. 

The letter reads:

Monday, April 27, 2020

H.E Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
Governor of Kano State
Governor’s Office, Kano
Kano State, Nigeria

Your Excellency,

OPEN LETTER TO KANO STATE GOVERNOR ON KANO STATE’S COVID 19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE

I am constrained to write this letter to you out of deep concern for my brothers and sisters that reside in Kano State. As a citizen of Nigeria and a daughter of Kano, I will be remiss if I do not voice my apprehension on the COVID 19 pandemic as it concerns my kinsmen.

We are contending with a novel virus that scientists the world over are still trying to understand. There are many things we do not comprehend about the virus at this time, but what we do know is that it is deadly. More importantly, it does not discriminate on the basis of tribe, religion and socio-economic class in its haul of victims. Governments across the world have only been able to mitigate the grim impact of this crisis with a show of strong leadership and collaborative efforts with all stakeholders in designing and implementing a Pandemic Response Strategy. Kano State cannot afford to be an exception.

Unfortunately, news coming out of Kano State corroborated by my findings is worrisome. The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire was quoted on Sunday to have acknowledged that the recent spike in deaths in Kano required further investigation and, the Deputy Coordinator, Kano State Covid-19 Response, Dr. Sabitu Shuaibu while speaking on Channels TV on Saturday did indicate that the deaths in the state had reached 640 in the last one week. This number can be attributed to the virus, and is easily supported if as reported, the Kano State index case of COVID 19 entered the metropolis of Kano on the 23rd of March. A community transmission model as seen in South Korea’s Patient 31, who continued to commingle within her religious and social circles had within ten days, infected 5000 people. It is therefore safe to assume  that Kano’s Patient Zero can, within a similar 1-5000 transmission rate, activate a super spreading chain that can infect the entire population of the state.

As a Muslim, our Holy Book makes us understand that “No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart.” Though I do not wish that the increase in deaths being reported should cause mass hysteria and panic, but, we cannot adopt a fatalist view of the situation or remain in denial. Beyond the official figures from the NCDC, the evidence indicates clearly that COVID 19 is very much within our borders, as the exponential surge in “mysterious” deaths provide an accurate picture of the crisis we have on our hands. 

Kano state already has considerable developmental challenges that threaten to be compounded by this pandemic. We have a huge population, endemic poverty and high rates of illiteracy amongst other indicators that make us extremely vulnerable. This portends horrendous catastrophe for our people if, God forbid, we lose the war against COVID 19. I therefore entreat you to take necessary action to urgently address this predicament and save the people of Kano. 

Some of the steps I would like to suggest are:
• Declare a State of Emergency in Kano State with immediate effect

• Exercise your powers as Governor to lockdown the entire Kano State and work with the Nigerian security forces to enforce this.

• Embark on a community awareness program to sensitize all indigenes and residents of the state to protocols that have been prescribed by the WHO including: hand washing, social distancing, use of face masks and self-isolation 

• Adopt wartime strategies to minimize the spread of the virus, which would include commandeering existing infrastructure as isolation centres, in particular repurposing boarding schools and university accommodation as much needed beds for the sick

• Practice intense tracing, categorization and management of contacts.

• Provide health care workers on the frontline with adequate PPEs

• Adopt NCDC guidelines in dealing with those who have been confirmed infected, as well as enforce adherence to guidelines for the burial of the deceased.

Nigeria and indeed Africa, have been lucky, as our treatment outcomes so far have been remarkable. Therefore, urgent and coordinated action must be taken and the support of all stakeholders must be sought to turn the tide against this aggressive contagion in Kano State, to save us from the dire projected outcomes. Your Excellency, we are looking to you for direction and leadership at this time, and assure you of our support and that of many well-meaning individuals and institutions within and outside the state.

Every minute counts! May God help us! 

Yours sincerely,

Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode
Chief Executive Officer, Murtala Muhammed Foundation