Kano Relaxes Lockdown, Dangote Donates Testing Centre

    -Ganduje orders state Anti-Corruption Agency to confiscate products of inflationary prices

With the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Kano state government relaxes the lockdown order by Mondays and Thursdays between 10am to 4pm each day, with special call for the public to always maintain and observe COVID-19 protocols as given by health professionals.

This was given by the governor of Kano state Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during media briefing of State Task Force on COVID-19, held at Africa House, Government, Kano, in the presence of the Task Force Chairman, the Deputy Governor, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and other top government personalities.

The briefing immediately followed a meeting between the governor and chairmen of the metropolitan local governments of the state, in the presence of the State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, Commissioner for local governments, Murtala Sule Garo, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, (ALGON), Kano state branch, Lamin Sani, who is also the chairman of Nassarawa local government.

“We sought for the consent of Mr President on how to relax the lockdown, to allow for some free movements of people, but within stipulated hours of the agreed days.

Due to that, I am hereby making an announcement that, each Monday in the lockdown period between 10am to 4pm people are allowed to come out and make some purchases. So also on Thursdays between 10am to 4pm people are allowed to be out within these stipulated time,” says Governor Ganduje.

He urged that “…people  must observe all protocols as given by our health professionals. We should all know that there is no short cut in the fight against COVID-19 all over the world. So we must always abide by all the protocols.”

He explained that within the time for the relaxation of the lockdown order, all markets must remain closed, with the exception of Yankaba market, where perishable items are sold and Yan Lemo market, where fruits are sold.

He reveals that, “As we are targeting more Testing Centres in the state, the richest man in Africa, Alhaji 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.”

Rising cases of positive COVID-19 patients, the governor said, “…is a thing of great concern. Though we are aware that with the bouncing back of the Aminu Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Testing Centre with the capacity of 88 samples per day, and the coming up of another Testing Centre at Bayero University, Kano, with the capacity of 20 samples per day, would mean another rise in the identified positive cases.”

On the price increase of essential commodities like sugar and salt, governor Ganduje said “I had a meeting with Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Abdussamad Isyaka Rabi’u, they all assured that they didn’t increase a Kobo in the prices of their products. This means that any hike in the prices of sugar, salt and other commodities will not be tolerated by the state.”

He warned further that, “It is as a result of this that I directed the State Anti-Corruption Commission to be very vigilant and monitor sells at points of sales of such commodities. 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 recently signed COVID-19 and other infectious diseases Law will work on whoever tries to test the might of government, maintaining that, “We have provisions that take care of such behaviours in the Law.”