Should Buhari consider declaring a state of emergency in Kano for six months to save the rest of Nigeria?

By Ayo Akinfe

[1] Kano State is fast becoming the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria as it is now number two behind Lagos State in terms of affected people. As of this morning, it had 365 cases, of which there have been eight unfortunate deaths

[2] Under normal circumstances, that should not have been a cause for concern but alas, we have a unique problem here with the dispersal of Almajiris from Kano State. These urban urchins are being expelled from Kano and going back to their states of origins in large numbers, unwittingly taking the virus with them

[3] Unlike in Lagos where the state government appears to be on top of the situation and has managed to contain the affected citizens by keeping them in isolation centres, in Kano, people are going about as if nothing has happened. To make matters worse, local politics recently led Governor Ganduje to reject an isolation centre donated by his predecessor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Unfortunately, egos are now getting in the way of public health

[4] Also, with the advent of Ramadan, Governor Ganduje has been under pressure to lift some of the restrictions so people can go out and stock up, so they have food for the Iftar, when they break the fast in the evening. This as we all know will only spread the virus further

[5] I am yet to see any serious consideration given to the wearing of facemasks ion Kano State. Likewise, I am yet to see the public there take the matter of social distancing seriously

[6] Just looking at how flagrantly people reacted to the partial lifting of the lockdown in Lagos yesterday, it is clear to me that shutting down the economy can never work in a country like Nigeria. People will have become so impoverished after the two weeks that they will throw all caution to the wind once it is over. Any lockdown in Kano will simply not work because when it is lifted, thousands of people will throng to banks, markets, mosques, IT centres, cyber cafes, etc, negating any gains made from the lockdown

[7] Kano State's problems are worsened by the actions of Governor Ganduje who has declared that all he needs is N15bn ($13.7m). Just to let you know how comical this is, he says all these additional mysterious deaths are not down to Covid-19, no autopsy has been done on the bodies to tell us what us happening, testing centres are limited in number, yet the governor just wants N15bn. How does he know how much he needs when he does not even know that the problem is?

[8] Fortunately the Nigeria Disease Control Centre has stepped in, sending a 16-man team to Kano State, re-opening the testing centres and getting isolation units functioning again. However, this may be too little too late. For starters, I have not seen enough personal protection equipment (PPE) sent to Kano State

[9] Kano State is bordered by Katina, Kaduna, Jigawa and Bauchi states. We desperately need the borders sealed with local vigilantes empowered to set up road blocks, seal off all feeder roads and prevent inter-state movement. Only a state of emergency will allow us to do this

[10] Personally, I think the only way to achieve this is for the National Assembly to declare a state of emergency in Kano State. This will involve suspending the state executive and legislature and imposing martial law through a Buhari-appointed administrator. Personally, I would like to see a person with a background in UN kind of humanitarian work asked to run the state for about six months. Let that person stop inter-state movement, step up testing, open more isolation centres and above all start trying out drugs and herbal remedies with a view to finding a local cure