Kano State Government has so far expended the sum of over N900 million in various form of programs and interventions geared at curtailing the spread of Covid-19 in the state since the outbreak of the pandemic was detected.
The state has also been able to provide food support generated from the Federal Government and members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to over 270, 000 vulnerable households affected by the low food supply as a result of the pandemic, across the 44 Local Government Councils of the state.
Briefing delegation students of Course 43 of the Armed Force Command College Jaji, who are on a working visit to the state, chairman, Kano State Task Force on Covid-19, Nasiru Y. Gawuna, who is the deputy –governor of the state, disclosed that the over N900 expended was generated from the state government wallet, as well as contributions made by members of the OPS to a special fundraising campaign initiated by the state.
He told the delegation that when the outbreak of the disease was detected on the 13th of March this year, the state government responded by inaugurating the State Task Force on Covid-19, given the mandate to mobilize both human and other forms of material resources required to tackle the pandemic.
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Gawuna stated through the support received was able to establish 6 Isolation Centres, as well as trained over 1,500 personnel on infection prevention and control skills, in addition to activating 16 sample collection centres.
“We also strengthened collaboration with implementation partners, utilized ambulances and other vehicles for a robust response. We also engaged faith-based groups, leaders and traditional rulers to create awareness about the disease, and identification of suspected cases.
“To God be the glory, these measures have been very successful from what we can see in the reduction of the number of incidences of people that tested positive for the disease, and the number of death recorded, as a result of the pandemic”, he noted.
While briefing the delegation, Chairman of the State Palliative Distribution Committee on COVID-19, Yahuza Bello, who is the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, (BUK), revealed that the Kano Government took a holistic approach towards cushioning the effect of the pandemic.
“Our committee received direct financial support totalling about N900 million support from the State Government, Philanthropists, and Corporate Organisations, and we are able to provide support to 270,000 vulnerable households in 3 rounds of distribution which to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic on the people.
“We are deeply glad for the opportunity is given to members of the Committee to serve the good people of the state and also grateful to the various philanthropists, and Corporate Organisations that responded promptly to the call to donate money for the purpose of curtailing the pandemic”, Bello added.
In his remarks on behalf of the participants of the course, Squadron Leader, O.O Evulobi, said that the delegation has tremendously benefitted from the wealth of experience, and information shared by the various committee put in place by the state government to manage the pandemic, while, also expressing appreciation to the Kano State Government for the warm reception given to them.
The event was attended by the Secretary to the State Government Usman Alhaji, all the Commissioners, and Permanent Secretaries in the state, as well as the Co-Chair of the Task Force Committee on COVID-19, Professor Abdurrazaq Garba Habib, and Coordinator, Technical Response Team for COVID-19, Tijjani Hussaini, a medical doctor.
