"Partly right"- El-Rufai reacts to claims of ‘fake’ COVID-19 numbers

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has replied to a man who challenged COVID-19 numbers released by NCDC.

According to Jibrin Ibrahim, the true numbers of COVID-19 patients in Nigeria cannot be ascertained if state governors are in charge of the samples sent to NCDC.

Ibrahim, however, raised the claim that state governors are reducing the number of samples sent to NCDC.

This he meant, will make the states record low numbers and hasten return to normal activities at the detriment of Nigerians but good for the economy.

“NUMBERS GAME Every evening NCDC releases #COVID19 numbers, what do they mean? Samples are sent to labs by task forces controlled by State Governors. The labs can only test what they are given. He who controls the sample set controls the numbers. Governors want low numbers,”Ibrahim wrote.

In reaction to Ibrahim’s post, another Twitter user wrote;

“How the numbers in Kano dropped drastically is still a miracle to me.”

Another Twitter user said: “I am not understanding the numbers from the South East States, Kogi, Cross River, and in many other states. I believe only what I read of Lagos, Kaduna, and the FCT. Some are not testing. Others not declaring.”

However, on sighting the post by Jibrin Ibrahim, Governor El-Rufai said he is partly right.

See El-Rufai’s response below:

You are partly right, sir. But not all states want ‘fake’ low numbers. FCT, Kaduna & Lagos States at least are actively tracing contacts because we want RIGHT numbers of those infected – to test, trace contacts & treat them. We want to save lives not have “unexplained deaths”!