COVID-19: Stop making noise about almajiri kids, Ganduje hits northern governors

Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano state, has accused his counterparts in the north of playing politics with almajiri kids.

At a media briefing on Sunday, Ganduje said while an agreement was reached for almajiri to be returned to their states of origin as a measure of tackling COVID-19, his colleagues have been playing politics with the situation.

In the last two weeks, governors have announced how almajiri kids repatriated from Kano tested positive for COVID-19.

But Ganduje said Kano has received almajiri from other states who tested positive “without making any noise” about it because what the children need at the moment is care.

“We agreed at the Northern Governors Forum that all Almajiris moved to their states of origin. That is why we are sending, in good faith and procedures, all Almajiris that are not from Kano state to their respective states of origin,” he said.

“The way we are sending back Almajiris to their states of origin, we are also receiving Almajiris from other states who are Kano indigines. But the fact that we are not making noise about it does not mean they are all healthy without COVID-19 infections. But we are not making politics out of it because we all believe that what they need most now, is not noise making or publicity. What they need at this critical point in time is care giving.

“People should also understand that, these children were not infected in the process of transporting them to their respective states. So noise making is not fit as a way forward. All we are doing is simply to comply with the Northern Governors’ Forum decision that all Almajiris in our states should be taken back to their respective states, simple.”