Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has called on his counterparts in the north to avoid ‘making noise’ about COVID-19 positive Almajiri kids and rather give them necessary care.

The governor who was speaking at a media briefing on Sunday said the fact that he is not making noise doesn’t mean all Almajiri brought back to Kano from other northern states are healthy.

Governor Ganduje stressed that he also received Almajiris from other northern states some of who tested positive but he decided not to make noise about it.

The governor disclosed that the decision to return Almajiri children to their respective states of origin is a collective one agreed upon by all northern governors as a measure of tackling COVID-19 but his colleagues have been playing politics with the situation.

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

“The way we are sending back Almajiris to their states of origin, we are also receiving Almajiris from other states who are Kano indigenes. 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 caregiving”.

“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,” Ganduje said.