From Sanusi Muhammad
An Abuja based 2019 Bauchi North New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Senatorial candidate, Hon. Farouk Mustapha, has appealed to the Federal Government to commence discreet investigation of the cause(s) of recent deaths of hundreds of people within Katagum Emirate of Bauchi state that compelled the state government to impose a total lockdown in three of the six local governments of the emirate despite earlier denial of the death figures by the state governor.
Mustapha said that the rise in number of people who died of undisclosed illness is worrisome and should be properly investigated before the matter is buried under the carpet for political reason.
“The outcome of the investigation would enable government and the various national and international health related organizations to take appropriate steps to save lives of the people particularly those in the affected areas under lockdown”, he said
The former national lawmaker also urged wealthy individuals to rush to the aid of the less privileged people in the affected areas now under total lockdown without any form of support or assistance from the state government, adding that the prevailing lockdown has further pauperized the people to the extent that some cannot afford to feed themselves and their families while the lockdown lasts.
“The urgent and dire need to assist the affected people by way of providing assorted palliatives should not be left to only wealthy and concerned indigenes of the affected areas alone.
“ This is a battle that all of us as concerned people or even a person who can assist one another with a dime or a measure of food stuff, should collectively wage with pride of concern”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19 who is also the deputy governor of the state, Sen. Baba Tela has visited the affected areas to proffer immediate solutions to problems at hand while concerned indigenes of the Emirate are making desperate efforts to cushion the effects of the foreseen hardships associated with the sudden lockdown in Azare, Zaki and Giade.
