The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) says some state governments are playing politics with COVID-19 to get funds from the federal government.

In a statement on Thursday, Ango Abdullahi, NEF chairman, said what the country needs in this period is good policies that would protect citizens.

Abdullahi said the donations given to Nigeria should be used judiciously and promptly, adding that there is a need for the country to develop a policy on how to respond to the disease.

“The forum regrets the appearance of attempts by many state governments to play politics with numbers for what appears to be expectations that more funds from the federal government and foreign donors will be allocated to them,” he said.

“It is public knowledge that what the entire nation needs are good policies that protect all Nigerians; equipment and facilities for testing and treatment; and resources to support people who will find it hard to stay at home without some palliatives during the lockdown.

“Policies that waste progress in some parts of the country and others which trample on the rights of vulnerable groups must be discouraged.

“States should adopt policies that suit their peculiarities, but the nation as a whole must agree on, and implement basic policies that protect the entire population.

“In particular, we commend the decision to deploy a strong medical team to, among others, verify the causes of many deaths that are being popularly attributed to the pandemic as well as assist the government of Kano State to improve its facilities, investigations and treatment of suspected infections and those who are infected.”

So far, Nigeria has recorded 1,932 cases of the disease. While 319 patients have recovered, 58 people have died.