Some state governors are politicising COVID-19 pandemic so as to get funds from Federal government- Northern Elders Forum claims

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has accused some state governments of politicising the COVID19 pandemic just so as to get funds from the federal government.

So far 33 states and the FCT have recorded confirmed cases of COVID19. Only Cross Rivers and Kogi state have not recorded any case of the ravaging viral disease.

In a statement released by its National chairman, Ango Abdullahi, the Chairman of NEF, Ango Abdullahi, said what the country needs in this period is good policies that would protect citizens.

“The forum regrets the appearance of attempts by many state governments to play politics with numbers for what appears to be expectations that more funds from the federal government and foreign donors will be allocated to them.

It is public knowledge that what the entire nation needs are good policies that protect all Nigerians; equipment and facilities for testing and treatment; and resources to support people who will find it hard to stay at home without some palliatives during the lockdown.

Policies that waste progress in some parts of the country and others which trample on the rights of vulnerable groups must be discouraged.

States should adopt policies that suit their peculiarities, but the nation as a whole must agree on, and implement basic policies that protect the entire population.

In particular, we commend the decision to deploy a strong medical team to, among others, verify the causes of many deaths that are being popularly attributed to the pandemic as well as assist the government of Kano State to improve its facilities, investigations and treatment of suspected infections and those who are infected.”