Tracking Fintiri’s false or misleading coronavirus claims

The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus has confronted Governor Fintiri with a public health and economic crisis that requires consistent, accurate messaging to guide Adamawa residents. But the governor often played down most promises he has made since he assumed office of the governor, Adamawa state, in every occasion, the governor see it as an avenue for offering false, misleading or ignorant statements.

We have fact-checked many of these claims and recorded them in our database of all of Fintiri’s claims. But now we are starting a page to list the most notable coronavirus statements in one place, in chronological order. We intend to keep updating this page as the crisis unfolds.

 Focus on Gov. Fintiri press statement on corona virus

 “As part of the efforts to control, prevent, and contain the spread, an Isolation Ward, equipped with monitors has already been prepared at the Yola Specialist Hospital, pursuant to my directive. .”

Here, Fintiri contradicted himself as investigation show same centre he claim is setup by his order was setup during the Ebola era and such isolation centre at the state special hospital is not newly setup as claim by the governor, even a visit to the hospital show scarcity of hand sanitizer or facemask worn my most people since the outbreak of the corona pandemic.”

  “To cushion the effect of the alarming economic challenge of COVID-19, Government has agreed on a fifty percent reduction in the cost of House rent, Commercial shops and business premises”

Fintiri appeared nonplussed at learning some basic public health information. The statement made by the governor in his press release by claiming to reduce house and shop rents by 50 percent is not only misleading but exposed his weakness of telling lies and making false statements on any giving occasion.

 

With a not-so-subtle jab at the plan 2000 housing units plan by the Fintiri administration to build, Fintiri boasted that house and shops rent will be reduce by 50 per cent despite not giving financial incentive to any house owners in the state or invite them to a table discussion.”

 

He falsely claimed that taxes and house rent will be reducing by 50 percent in Adamawa state as a result of the covid 9 virus pandemic.”

However, Fintiri oversold what was still only the germ of an idea. Around the time of Fintiri’s 50 percent reduction in prices of house and shop rents in Adamawa announcement, the governor is yet to tell the people or inform house owners in the state about his plan to reduce house rents or how he intend to achieve it despite no law backing him to dictate to house owners the amount that will be collected from tenants in the state.

 

 “There is no doubt that going by what is happening now, the financial inflow of the State Government has been affected, but while adjusting to the prevailing reality, Government will do its best to implement the agenda it has set out to achieve”.

Fintiri earned Four Pinocchios for this claim. Fintiri was looking for scapegoats to excuse his administration’s slow efforts to kick start laudable projects since he assumed office. But he cannot blame Bindow.

The administration suggested, without evidence, that one billion is being deducted every month due to loans taken by the Bindow administration, but fail to utilised this recent opportunity when FAAC to the state increase tremendously under Fintiri’s watch. Fintiri repeated a version of this claim on September 11, 2019.

  “In addition, contact is being maintained with the Personnel of Primary Health Care Development Agencies while Local Government Headquarters are the focal points of transportation of suspected cases, throughout the State”.

This is wrong. Adamawa state primary health care at this point is not equipped to handle any case arising from the corona virus pandemic as the agency lacks health and clinical equipments if any case arises in Adamawa, an agency source told this news medium that they even lack facemask, hand sanitizer talk more of given assistance if a case is discovered.

“I am delighted to note that this is the first of its kind in the entire Northern Region, since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out”. 

Beyond the unverifiable claim about his administration’s efforts, there is no such thing as a “first of its kind in the entire region.” By this assertion analysts have criticised the governor for hailing the virus by using the word “delighted” in the face of pain brought upon humanity by the virus, as they faults the chief press secretary to the governor on this costly mistake of word “delight” found in the governor’s press statement.