The Northern Governors Forum (NGF), Friday, said the region will soon have mobile testing vans for novel coronavirus, just as the forum decried inadequate number of testing centers in the region.
The forum’s chairman and Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, stated this at the end of their meeting held via teleconferencing.
He said, “The Forum reviewed some of the issues they earlier raised, such as the request for more COVID-19 testing centres in the North which are grossly inadequate.”
Lalong in a statement by his director of press and public affairs, Dr. Makut Macham, said they acknowledged some improvement through the intervention of the federal government, but said it was still a far cry going by its population and increase in COVID-19 cases.
“They therefore decided to purchase mobile testing vans which they believe will facilitate testing in the rural areas,” he added.
Lalong said the forum also expressed deep appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his quick intervention in Kano state because of the spike in the number of COVID-19 infections recently.
He said on the issue of inter-State border closure, the northern governors expressed serious concern that despite their efforts, the borders were still being compromised and more illegal routes are being created which is giving rise to more inter-state transfer of COVID-19.
The forum said they also noted that some of the trucks transporting goods were also used in smuggling people across states in violation of movement regulations.
“On the profiling and return of Almajiris to their states of origin, the governors noted that the exercise has commenced and is going on well, except for some few logistic challenges, which are being addressed, between hovernors of originating and receiving states,” Lalong said.
He said they also agreed that Almajiris sent from one state to another should be profiled, tested and accompanied by dtate officials and their Alaramas (teachers) to facilitate the process of settling in.
They were also briefed on the post-COVID-19 economic Blueprint for northern region by Chairman of the committee, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state who said the document is being developed and will soon be presented to the forum.
They also mandated the governors of Kebbi, Katsina, Borno, and Plateau to engage the leadership of security agencies on the threat of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping on agriculture in the north as farmers are afraid to go their farms for fear of attacks.
The northern governors also commended the efforts of the private sector-led coalition against Coronavirus (COCAVID) which has commenced the distribution of palliatives to states.
