By Jabiru Hassan, Kano.
The Kano State Deputy Governor’s Office has denied a false report published by Solacebase Newspaper claiming that the Deputy Governor, Comr. Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, failed to honor his promise of sponsoring 52 indigent patients for eye surgery.
In a press statement issued to newsmen, the Deputy Governor’s Press Secretary, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, described the report as “misleading” and “unfounded.”
He explained that the Deputy Governor never made any such promise, and that the reporter claimed to have obtained his source of information from a tweet on September 9, 2023, on an unverified X handle formerly Twitter of the Deputy Governor.
The reporter claimed that all efforts to speak with the Chief Press Secretary of the Deputy, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, were not fruitful.
To set the record straight, Garba said that the investigation lacks basis as there was no official press release showing that the Deputy Governor sponsored the indigent patients for eye surgery.
Ibrahim noted that the only press release from his office was on July 10, 2023, stating that “Over 500 Benefit from KNSG Free Mobile Eye Screening in Gwarzo LGA.”
“The press release reads as follows:
“Over 500 Benefit from KNSG Free Mobile Eye Screening in Gwarzo LGA* *In a collaborative effort between the Kano State Primary Healthcare and Management Board and the Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital, over 500 individuals in Gwarzo Local Government Area (LGA) and its surrounding areas have received free mobile eye screenings.”
According to a statement issued to newsmen by Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kano state, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu explained the mobile eye screening initiative aimed to identify and address eye-related health conditions among the residents of Gwarzo LGA.
*Kamilu Saleh Dokadawa, the Kano State Coordinator for Primary Eye Care, reported that a total of 536 patients underwent screenings during the campaign.*
*”Among them, 162 patients were identified with cataracts and were referred for surgical intervention. Additionally, 69 individuals were screened for glaucoma, and those requiring further treatment were also referred accordingly”*
*”To further support the initiative, the Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital generously donated 130 eye drops and 70 pairs of glasses as a complementary gesture to the people of Gwarzo LGA” Kamilu revealed.*
“Expressing their gratitude, two beneficiaries of the screening, Aminu Adnan and Ruqayyah Salihu, both residents of Gwarzo LGA, commended the Kano State Government under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his deputy, Comr. Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, for their timely intervention and commitment to the welfare of the community.”
IBRAHIM GARBA SHUAIBU, “Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kano State.* *10th July 2023”*
Garba further explained that the Deputy Governor does not have any link with the sponsorship of the patients. Instead, he only facilitated the mobilization of the patients from Gwarzo LGA to the Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital in Kano Metropolis.
Ibrahim, however, called on the general public to disregard the misleading report, as it is at the instances of mischief makers who are out to damage the hard-earned reputation of the Deputy Governor, who is a man of remarkable integrity.
Garba reiterated the state government’s dedication to bolster the economic development and welfare of Kano State citizens.
