President Muhammadu Buhari has consented to the request made by the Kano state government for the easing of the two weeks lockdown imposed on Kano, as part of the measures to curtail the Covid-19 disease ravaging the state.
To this end, the President has approved that the lockdown be relaxed between 10am to 4pm on every Mondays and Thursdays of the week to enable residents re-stock as a result of the Ramadan.
The decision to ease the lock-down was made known by the governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, while briefing journalists at Africa House, Government, Kano, Saturday.
” I am glad to let you known that we sought for the consent of the President on the need to relax the lockdown, to allow for some free movements of people, within stipulated hours of the agreed days.
“And he has consented, so I wish to announced that the lockdown has been relaxed between the period of 10am to 4pm every Mondays and Thursdays of the week, this is to enable people move out and make some purchases “, the governor disclosed
“However, I wish to make this clarion call on all the people that they must observe all protocols as directed by our health professionals. We must know that is no short cut in the fight against COVID-19 all over the world. So we must always abide by all the protocols.
“ I calling on all the people of the state use this opportunity to re-stock their food supply and other basic needs required for their sustenance, while the lockdown will last”, he added
Governor Ganduje explained that within the period given for the relaxation of the lockdown order, all markets will remain closed, with the exception of Yankaba market, where perishable items are sold and Yan Lemo market, where fruits are sold.
“As we are targeting more Testing Centres in the state, the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote is donating Mobile Testing Centre with the capacity of testing 400 people daily. The facility is coming to Kano in the next two days, by Monday.”
“The rising cases of positive COVID-19 patients in Kano is a thing of great concern, but resumption of operations at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Testing Centre which has capacity to test 88 samples per day, and the coming up of another Testing Centre at Bayero University, Kano, with the capacity for 20 samples per day, we are now in position to carry out more test which is a good news for the state”, he pointed out.
Commenting on the efforts being made by his administration to bring down the price of consumables, such as foodstuff, which is sky rocking, the governor said that he held a meeting with Aliko Dangote and Abdussamad Isyaku Rabi’u, and they all assured to do their best to ensure that the price of household commodities like sugar, salt are brought down.
As a way of ensuring price control, Governor Ganduje said he has directed the State Anti-Corruption Commission to be very vigilant and monitor sells at points of sales of such commodities, noting that whoever is found increasing any price will have his or her products confiscated and whatever is confiscated will be put into our palliative programme to be distributed to the public free.
Ganduje vowed that, the recent COVID-19 and other Infectious Diseases Act passed by the State Assembly will be applied on whoever tries to test the might of his government.
