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John Adams, Minna
Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has described as unfortunate the way Nigerians have turned the Coronavirus pandemic to politics, an avenue for joke and mockery of those that have been tested positive to the Virus.
The governor who spoke in Minna on Sunday evening while announcing further measures by the government to contain the spread of the Coronavirus to the state regretted that “while we are dealing with a very serious situation, the whole thing have been turned to politics, an avenue to joke and mockery of those tested positive “.
Governor Bello, while appealing to Nigerians to stop mocking those that have tested positive to the virus, reminded them that “those that have been tested so far is fraction of those that may be positive to the virus because there is no enough testing kits.
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“We should therefore stop mocking Nigerians that have been tested positive. Don’t mock anybody until you know your status because either you or your relation may be carrying the virus”.
Governor who thanked the people of the state for their prayers while he was awaiting the result of his test, said that it was not his effort that made his result negative but by the grace of God, adding that “nobody is immune from the virus. I am happy that Niger state is still free from the virus, but we must tighten up.
“I have been confirmed negative but I will still be in personal isolation to stay safe”.
The Governor therefore directed that an isolation center be set up in each of the emirates in the state with two each in Bida and Kontagora, adding that some state owned higher institutions be also converted to isolation centers.
“I have also asked the Commissioners for Education and Health to convert some schools, atleast one in each of the Emirates into Isolation centers Incase there is an explosion. Kotangora and Bida would have two centers each because of their sizes.”
He has further directed the state commissioner for health, to as a matter of urgency engage the services of retired health workers, including Doctors and Nurses across the state to attend to emergency, stressing that “the government will pay them some stipend for their services”.
Accordingly, he said “I have given approval to the Commissioner for Health that all retired Health workers especially Doctors and Nurses including volunteers either private or public to be engaged”.
On the efforts by the government to alleviate the sufferings of the people because of the Stay at home directives the Governor said he has directed the deputy governor to liaise with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to ensure a minimum of 18 hours power supply daily instead of the six hours daily.
“We need to reduce the hardship, the six hours daily light is unacceptable. I have told the Deputy Governor to reach out to the AEDC and he said they are still in discussion to see that we have 18 hours of power supply on daily basis.
“I am deeply concerned about the hardship especially with the heat. We must do it at all cost to ease the sufferings, most of the children are worst hit by the heat and no electricity.”
He however commended religious leaders and their followers for abiding by the directives not to assembly their followers not more than 20 in a particular place in order to prevent and contain the spread of the virus.
