Bauchi State Office of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called for the constitution of an Independent committee to investigate the frequent deaths in some local government areas in Bauchi state.

A statement signed by the Acting Programs Coordinator of the centre, Isah Garba Azare, observed with dismay the high and frequent deaths in Azare and Jama’are towns, and urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to send an independent panel to investigate the mysterious deaths as it did in the case of Kano.

The statement enjoined the state Taskforce committee to set up sample collection centres across the state, while calling on the state government to partner with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi to establish a testing centre in the state.

CITAD in the statement, implored the Bauchi state government to work with the Council of Ulama to ensure that the burial protocols as advised by both Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs and the NCDC are observed to curb the spread of the virus in the state.

The centre noticed that: “There is no use of hand sanitizers or face masks in the markets and people are crowding without social distancing. People do not consider these as important. But even more importantly, hand sanitizers and facemasks are not available in rural communities, include in major towns outside the state capital such as Azare.
Although Friday and Sunday services are suspended in the state, congregations prayers are being conducted which is contrary to the requirement of social distance initiative. For Example, Salatul Tarawih is performed in many mosques within the state capital and in all towns. Similarly, some Churches also still organize programmes not on Sundays but in other days that generate many crowds”.

The statement urged the Bauchi state government to without further delay, enforce a total lockdown order in the state, partner with private sectors and other philanthropists to source palliatives and properly train health workers on emergency response and provide them with PPEs.

While restating its commitment to work with all stakeholders in an effort to create synergy and complementarity so as to elevate the current weak response to the pandemic in the state, CITAD appealed to business leaders, community and religious leaders, academics, civil society organizations and faith-based organizations to come together to pool their resources, endowments and networks to support efforts aimed at curtailing the COVID 19 pandemic in the state.