An African group of professionals called African Professionals Renaissance Network, (APREN), based in Dakar, Senegal, choses governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state as the best performing governor in Nigeria, in the fight against COVID-19.
In a letter sent to the governor dated Monday 3rd August, 2020, signed by the group’s Secretary General, Diouf Bakri Koalack, commended governor’s effort in the fight against the global pandemic.
Emphasising that, “Your effort as the governor of Kano state, in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria is so glaring that even the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) appreciated your effort so openly for all to know and copy.”
After long and diligent study of the situation across all the states in the federation, according to the letter “…we came to clearly understand that Kano state did excellently well in responding to the global pandemic. This, we assure, is as a result of the unwavering diligence and commitment of the governor in driving the response.”
The letter continues “Even before the existence of first index case in Kano state, we learned that, the state was well prepared and put everything in place waiting for any eventuality. When the first index case was in sight, governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was up and doing in responding appropriately.”
APREN, as a group of multitude professionals across African countries, beamed its search light across some selected African countries and underwent a study on how states respond to the pandemic wave.
Kano state, under governor Ganduje, the group testifies, in the letter “…has done tremendous work in countering the health problem of COVID-19. Governor Ganduje quickly formed a very powerful Task Force and filled it with professionals who clearly understand the problem. Experts in public health, among others.”
According to them, Kano state proves to be an exemplary political space, in launching a serious fight against COVID-19, adding that, “When the state was faced with the first case all efforts were geared towards dismembering the pandemic’s strength.”
“We saw how the governor cooperated very well with the Team sent to the state by the federal government’s Task Force, as well as the Ministerial Technical Team. It was such vibrant synergy alongside Governor’s political will that, among other things, help shaped the fight to reach appreciable stage,” the letter says.
The letter reminded that, just recently, the Director General of NCDC Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, appreciated Kano’s position being the state with more testing capacity than any other state of the federation.
“Kano state under governor Ganduje excels in the fight against COVID-19 more than any other state in Nigeria. Kano became the centre for the training of both health and non-health workers for the Northern Nigeria. This could not have been possible without determined political will from the governor,” the letter concludes.
