Ahead of the planned handing over of the COVID-19 fight to state governments as hinted by the federal government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, there are fears and doubts on the capacity of some of state governments to handle the pandemic.
Kaduna
With two active molecular diagnostic laboratories for COVID-19 testing and a recently delivered mobile testing truck to boost its testing capacity for the virus, many would say Kaduna State is capable of handling the fight against COVID-19 even as it awaits the validation of the Germfree Containerised Modular BSL-3 laboratory at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Some residents of Kaduna have expressed apprehension that the state government may not be capable of fighting the virus without the assistance of the federal government.
This is in spite of a recent statement by Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the federal government had not made any financial assistance to the state in the fight against the virus.
Abdullahi Ibrahim, a resident of Tudun Wada is not optimistic that the fight against Covid-19 should be left in the hands of governors.
Abubakar Aliyu shares the same view, stating that if the federal government is in charge, coordinating Covid-19 response will be centralized to help in key decision making
Kebbi
In Kebbi, there is no COVID-19 testing center as the state relies on Sokoto testing center for now.
During one of the press briefings at the peak of the pandemic the chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Mohammed Jafar, said doctors and health workers were trained on handling the pandemic.
Jafar, who is also the state Commissioner for Health, recently announced special monetary packages for the front line health workers that included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ambulance drivers and cleaners as part of efforts to combat the pandemic.
Cross River
A cross section of some of the people spoken to in Cross River State said they were not worried whether the federal government hands over the management of the COVID-19 to state or not.
They claim they had hardly seen efforts of the federal government towards the campaign to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
An elderly woman, Madam Beatrice Kanu from Biase LGA was worried that the state may not be able to handle the management of COVID-19 if entirely if left to her, adding that only God saved the state to be free.
Reacting, a medical personnel, Mrs Esther Sampson said she would not support the handing over idea, adding it was important to have support and expertise from the federal government.
The Commissioner for Health and chairman of the state COVID19 Rescue team, Dr Betta Edu said the state does not have the fear if eventually federal government hands over.
Kwara
The Kwara State Government said it was ever prepared and ready to take on challenges posed by COVID 19 pandemic in the face of the federal government’s decision to handover the fight to states.
The state Technical Committee on COVID 19 said its performance in COVID-19 management is one of the best in the country.
A medical doctor in one of the state’s private hospitals, Olukomolafe Idowu told our correspondent that it would be wrong for the federal government to leave the fight to state governments in view of the way state governments play politics with everything.
Edo
In Edo State, though many residents seem not to believe that there is coronavirus in Nigeria, some are apprehensive that the fight against virus would be left in the hand of the state government.
Some of the residents who spoke to Daily Trust on Saturday said they don’t trust most of the state governments in handling the pandemic and urged the federal government to have a rethink.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State government has got an approval from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC for its Reference Molecular Laboratory to start formal testing and reporting from the state but residents are not convinced.
A resident of Bauchi metropolis, Malam Ahmadu Kabiru, expressed fears about handing over the COVID-19 fight to states, saying they lack resources and political will to do so.
A doctor said handing over the issue of COVID-19 to state governments will not augur well given the response of some governors to the health emergency.
Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State government has been seen to be fighting COVID-19 with determination and doggedness especially with the recent commissioning of the 300 bed isolation centre in the state.
State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong said the state government has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic since the first index case was recorded in the state without the assistance of the Federal Government, saying the state was unperturbed.
Ukong explained that the state government has spent huge resources to set up the isolation centre and its own PCR molecular laboratory.
Sokoto
In Sokoto, there is a molecular testing lab with 698 tests done already and some residents spoken said they have no fear about leaving the fight in the hands of the state government.
However, they stressed the need for enforcement of preventive measures against the virus to further put it in check.
Gombe
The Gombe State government said it is ready to take over the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic from the Federal Government and the Presidential Task Force Committee (PTF) on the pandemic.
The state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhassan Ibrahim Kwami,said since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, the federal government and the PTF have done nothing to the state in terms of funding and other technical supports.
Alhassan Kwami disclosed that the state has already acquired PCR machine and had invited the NCDC for installation to start testing at the state-owned laboratory within the next two weeks.
Ogun
In Ogun, government has installed Molecular laboratory for testing.
The State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Ismail Lawal told Daily Trust Saturday that if the federal government reimburses the state of what it has expended on the fight so far, it could put in place more desired measures to cope with COVID – 19 battles if the federal government finally hands off.
Governor Dapo Abidoun had told the visiting PTF team that all what the state had been able to achieve was done through self-help, adding that his administration had also been able to provide insurance policy to all of its health workers.
Nasarawa
Although, there are no COVID-19 testing labs in the state, the Nasarawa State Governor has set up additional sample collection centres across the state for more testing.
Some residents said they want the state government to appeal to the federal government to continue testing of samples for the next one month pending when the state is fully ready to take over.
Yobe
In Yobe, residents expressed doubts about the capacity of the state government to handle the fight all alone.
Dr Hadiza Mali, a lecturer with the state university emphasized the need to have a testing center in the state as the only way to determine the progress in the fight against the new infection.
A health worker at the Federal Medical Center Nguru insisted that the decision to hand over to states was ill timed and would take the fight against Covid-19 back to square one.
According to him, the only state that can handle that effectively is Lagos.
The State Commissioner for Health who is also the state vice chairman Covid-19 prevention and control committee, Dr Muhammad Lawan has said Yobe had already taken over the challenge.
Adamawa
Residents interviewed in Adamawa State have kicked against plans to leave the states to handle the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
Most of respondents pointed at the low number of health personnel and equipment at state government owned facilities.
The state health commissioner, Professor Abdullahi Isa said the state was successfully winning the fight against the virus without any support from the federal government.
The commissioner added that the state had adequate personnel and equipment while testing had since commenced at the new laboratory set up at the Federal Medical Centre in Yola.
However, most of the states have assured citizens that they are ready and well equipped to take up the challenge of handling COVID-19 cases.
Contributions by: Itoto Daniel Sule (Abuja), Lami Sadiq, (Kaduna), Raphael Ogbonnaiye (Ado-Ekiti), Aliyu M. Hamagam (Birnin Kebbi), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Eyo Charles (Calabar), Ismail Adebayo (Ilorin), Usman A. Bello (Benin), Jude Aguguo Owuamanam (Owerri) Hassan Ibrahim (Bauchi) Iniabasi Umo (Uyo), Rakiya A.Muhammad (Sokoto), Haruna Gimba Yaya (Gombe), Peter Moses (Abeokuta), Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad (Lafia) Ibrahim Baba Saleh (Damaturu), Kabiru R. Anwar (Yola)
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