“We are in trouble”

Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has declared the state is in trouble with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kano has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases with 342 patients in Nigeria.

His administration has been widely criticised for not being proactive with containing the virus.

Ganduje, who spoke at the presentation of a mobile testing centre donated by the Dangote Foundation, the state faced challenges in testing right from the beginning.

Ganduje said challenges in testing led to the escalation of the number of cases in the state.

“There is no doubt that Kano is in trouble. And there is no doubt that we started on a shaky foundation,” he said.

“When samples were taken to Abuja for seven hours and came back again in seven hours that was the shaky foundation I am talking about.

“We then lodged complaints to President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered for the establishment of a Testing Centre at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, which after take-off was shut down for some days if not weeks. That was what escalated the transmission of the disease up to community transmission.

“With the coming back of the AKTH Testing Centre and the addition of Bayero University, Kano that has the capacity of testing about 200 samples per day now, with the coming of Dangote Mobile Testing Centre of 400 samples capacity, we are making headway in facing the crisis squarely.”