Kano state government is doing everything possible to ensure the resurgent Covid-19 is kept at bay in the state. BASHIR MOHAMMED reports
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has demonstrated his administration ‘s resolve to engage about 1,000 special Covid-19 marshals for the purpose of enforcing Covid-19 protocols which he believed was treated with disdain by those who viewed compliance as mere joke.Covid-19, according to the governor, had taken a toll on the state in the past as a result of what transpired during its first wave.
Stakeholders meeting
Now, the governor is deeply disturbed by the growing cases of infection and its negative repercussions which has compelled his administration to summon notable stakeholders to a meeting at the Africa House with a view to taking precautionary measures towards keeping the pandemic at bay.It was the belief of Governor Ganduje that meeting various stakeholder would be the best way to deal with the nagging menace, knowing that paying lip service to the menace would spell doom as it would affect every sphere of human interest.Hosting the stakeholders to the crucial parley on a case by case basis, the governor made it clear that the cardinal reason for summoning them was to keep them posted on what his government was doing to confront the resurgence of the menace in order to avoid falling into a booby trap in the form of lockdown. According to the governor, it was never his intention to impose another lockdown on the state; rather it was his hope that people would begin to obey the laid down Covid-19 protocols.”We are set to distribute about one million face masks to you people for onward distribution to your people for them to understand that we really mean business. We are calling on the most recalcitrant violators to have a re-think on the need to buckle-up in facing the challenges ahead. We have established mobile courts to prosecute offenders and we are doing what we have promised to do for our set objectives to be achieved.”We are very much concerned about the economic development of the state in all spheres of human interests. That is why we summoned you people to this important meeting because we are not praying for the worst to come in the name of another lockdown. We are not at all praying for such an ugly scenario to rear its ugly head again,” he affirmed.The governor who was represented at the first meeting by his deputy, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna however stated that the economy of the state ipwas abysmally devastated by the lockdown which had lingered for months, lamenting that the investments of many business tycoons were crashed as a result of the pandemic which necessitated the lockdown. “We are not willing to lockdown Kano again in the face of the resurgence of the pandemic. What we want is for traders in the markets to understand our good intention. Using facemasks is too important to be ignored. Washing hands with sanitiser is a precautionary step and keeping social distance has also become necessary,” he stressed.Turning to stakeholders in the education sector, he told them in unambiguous term that the state had suffered a severe set-back in the wake of the last lockdown, affirming that his government is not willing to go backward for the sector to forge ahead.”What we want from you is to keep your students posted on what is required of them. Observing the protocols is what is most needed in keeping the academic flag flying considerably. You all have an abiding obligation to enlighten your pupils and students at all levels to prepare for the crucial challenges ahead,” he remarked.”We are very much concerned about the future of our children. We do not want a situation whereby we would get ourselves into another trap. We would never be a party to the educational destruction of our children. We are only taking measures to safeguard their health and allow normal academic activities to take shape,” he further revealed. While meeting with the media practitioners for the purpose of revealing what was expected from them, Ganduje urged them to parley the people by informing them that his administration would soon engage the services of 1,000 special guards with the aim of ensuring strict compliance with the Covid-19 protocol.
The parley with media
Addressing working journalists like he did to other interest groups Ganduje said with the resurgence of Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need for engsgement of special guards to enforce the protocol for peoples’ safety to be ensured adding that journalists have a spectacular role to play in achieving the desired goals.According to him, his administration is deeply worried about the way people circumvent the Covid-19 protocol with disdain, pointing out that observing the protocol would be the best defense by those entertaining fear that the worst was about to come.He said the resurgence has created panic all over the globe with the developed world taking proactive steps in keeping the menace at an arms length. He posited further that developing countries including Nigeria have to safeguard their respective citizens from further contracting the disease.”We have already established mobile courts to try recalcitrant offenders fond of breaking the protocol regardless of considering the danger inherent in it. We are not going to fold our arms to allow some people to hold us to ransome. All we are doing is for the safety of our dear citizens.”We would soon engage 1,000 special guards for the enforcement of the protocol to be endured. They would be mandated to traverse all the nooks and crannies of the state in order to ensure full compliance. When they see you without wearing the mask, they would ask you to wear it on the spot to avoid being penalised,” he afirmed.”We are calling on you journalists to take the bull by the horns in spearheading the battle of enlightening the public about the danger of disobidience to the laid down protocol. As professionals in your noble field, people listen to what you tell them. Try your best to make them understand our good intention,” he remarked.”We are also ready to vaccinate each and every citizen of the state as soon as plan are concluded and after the vaccine is certified safe by medical experts and its eficacy ascertained for controversy to be doused. Getting the vaccine administered on everyone is the only way out of the mess,” he averred.”Once you get yourself vaccinated, the whole wahala is over. Nobody is going to force you to wear the mask or maintain a social distance or wash your hands with sanitiser. The simple job is done with everyone getting vaccinated. Iam appealing to you journalists to consider the enlightenment crusade as a holistic one,” he concluded.
Reactions
Reacting to the meetings, a renowned chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state, Alhaji Musa Danbirni, described the governor’s declaration of war against the resurgence as commendable. He said this is coming at a time when people are entertaining fear of another lockdown. He added that with what the governor said, everyone is fully convinced that the government is not willing to return the state to the detestable days of lockdown.He said, “It would be foolhardy for one to believe that returning a vibrant commercial centre like Kano to the lockdown days is the way out of the mess. As far as I am concerned, I have seen the futility of such a return. People should only begin to imbibe the laid down protocols. I think it is high time to call a spade by its name,” he retorted.Reacting in the same vein, a Kano based public affairs commentator, Malam Aminu Idriss Fagge, said people have entirely detested the lockdown in whichever guise, adding that observing the protocols is the way out of the current mess.He pointed out that Kano would be at the lower rung of the ladder economically looking at its vast profile in that regard, stressing that stopping economic activities and paralyzing academic programmes of the state on the excuse of lockdown would be unwise as people have to learn to live with the virus as it is being done across the globe.
