From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
Kano state Government has described as misleading and mischievous video clips showing empty “Sani Abacha Stadium Isolation Centre,” indicating that COVID-19 is a “scam.”
The AUTHORITY reports that a fake video entitled “COVID419 Busted,” had gone viral claiming that, “this is the 600 capacity Isolation Centre at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. They lied to us that the centre has over 800 COVID-19 patients but the centre is totally empty, still under construction…”
The state Government through a Statement by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, has described the video as an attempt to discredit the fight against COVID-19 in Kano.
Malam Garba expressed great displeasure over the video as he gave a graphic details of state of things as concerned Isolation Centres in Kano.
According to him, “Kano state government says it takes strong offence to a viral video footage on the social media, mischievously attempting to misrepresent facts on the ongoing installation works at Sani Abacha Isolation oCentre, Kofar Mata which is being put in place by Coalition Against COVID (CACOVID) to fight the novel disease in the state.
“The three and a half minutes video clip, containing the filmed ongoing installation works at the Isolation Centre, SAS and posted on the social media, is an attempt to discredit the effort by the coalition in the fight against COVID-19.”
Malam Garba, clearly stated that, “there is no iota of truth in whatever the video clips attempt to portray.”
He maintained further that, “whoever is behind the filming does so to deliberately distort the datum considering that even in the clip, it shows that the project is still ongoing but calculatedly moves away from filming the exercise just to accomplish the task of garbling the fact.”
According to him, “the Sani Abacha Isolation Centre, which was initially billed to accommodate 500 beds, was later redesigned based on recommendation and standards set by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).”
He added that, “while the project was reviewed and installation works continue, 218 out of the 500 beds planned for the centre were deployed to other new centres as follows: renovated Abubakar Imam Urology 77 beds; Daula Isolation Centre 10 beds; Karfi Sports Institute 213 beds, while 213 beds are retained at Sani Abacha Isolation Centre which account for the 500 beds capacity being delivered by CACOVID in Kano state.”
Malam Garba, however, assured that the now 213 bed capacity Sani Abacha Isolation Centre as recommended by the relevant health authorities will soon be completed and put to use.
He called on the public to ignore the video clip which is a handiwork of mischief-makers and further assures that government would not be distracted from big picture which is serving the people.
