Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
As Nigeria continues to record more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State on Monday called on residents to be mindful of public gatherings, with the state government ordering the closing of schools.
According to the governor, the closing of all schools in the state will take effect from Tuesday, March 24th, in accordance with the directives by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, which directed that all schools in the country should be closed until further notice.
Governor Yahaya, who spoke to the residents in a statewide broadcast on Monday morning, disclosed that as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus, the government had set up a 21-member task force to immediately review and continuously monitor the situation in the state.
“I would like to assure you that we have been monitoring the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic with keen interest, and all the proactive measures we took were guided by the advice from technical experts,” the governor said in the broadcast.
He called on state residents to continue praying and to abide by scientifically-proven preventive and protective measures.
“I wish to ask for support from every one of us, as both government and individuals have a role to play in this great fight. You have a role to play as a healthcare worker, traditional ruler, religious leader, politician and a member of the community. The fight against this pandemic is a collective responsibility,” the governor said while assuring that the government had released funds to the state Ministry of Health for sensitisation and procurement of equipment needed to fight the pandemic when it appears in the state.
“I would like to end with a call on all residents of the state to join hands with the government in this task. This is the time to cement the bond of unity and brotherhood among us to galvanise forces against this global pandemic,” Governor Yahaya added.