Declare emergency in Kano — Murtala Muhammed’s daughter to Ganduje

Mrs Aisha Oyebode-Muhammed, the eldest child of a former Head of State, late General Murtala Muhammed, has asked the Kano State Government to declare emergency in the state.

She also advised that war-time strategies could check the increasing rate of deaths of residents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oyebode-Muhammed, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, said on Monday that the situation in her home state deserved a strong leadership action, “not a fatalist view of the situation or to remain in denial.”

In an open letter to the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, she lamented that Kano had many developmental challenges that could compound the pandemic.

“We have a huge population, endemic poverty and high rates of illiteracy, among other indicators that make us extremely vulnerable.

“This portends horrendous catastrophe for our people if, God forbids, 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.

“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,” she said in the letter.

Oyebode-Muhammed also called for more community awareness programmes to sensitise residents to the importance of social distancing, the use of hand sanitisers and face masks.

She asked that wartime strategies, including commandeering of existing infrastructure like boarding schools and university accommodation as isolation centres.

While advocating intense tracing and management of contacts, Oyebode-Muhammed said all health workers should be properly equipped with personal protective equipment.