Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Despite the declaration by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the (COVID-19) Pandemic, that the virus curve was yet to be flattened, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has declared his state has flattened the curve.
Recalled that while the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),Boss Mustapha, had last week Thursday informed Nigerians that the task force had observed that the nation was already flattening the curve of the spread, the National Coordinator of the task force, Dr Sani Aliyu, countered the claim on Monday that the PTF was not convinced that the curve is being flattened.
Aliyu had explained that such a decision would be reached when the PTF was sure that the country is having enough aggressive testing.
Ganduje, who said he was in the Presidential Villa to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for assisting the state with N5 billion to tackle the pandemic as well as other security issues in the state, explained that with their massive testing which yields negative result, it was confirmation that the curve has been flattened.
He said: “On COVID-19, I came to thank Mr. President for assisting Kano state with N5 billion to fight the pandemic. That has assisted the state. We have opened five testing centers which are functional, the curve is now flattened.
“We carry out testing maximally but at the same time the positivity ratio is very low. So, it’s (COVID-19) is dying down almost on a daily basis. So I came to thank Mr. president for that assistance.”
The Governor said he updated the on the security situation in the state, especially the millitary training facility his Government has set up at the Falgore Forest for over N500 million.
The forest was known to be a hotbed for criminal activity.
He said his administration was providing infrastructure for military training in the Falgore Forest in order to prevent the bandits from colonising that particular environment.
The infrastructure will include auditorium, houses, dinning hall, kitchen, shooting range and many other amenities to enable the military train continuously.
He said his administration is also constructing Ruga settlement in the forest as well as a dam to halt the movement of the nomadic Fulani from one place to the other. He said a modern system of animal husbandry will also be in place at the forest for which 75 sons and daughters of Fulani herdsmen have been trained in Turkey for artificial insemination
He said once the Ruga is completed, they will be settled there and then modern animal husbandry will be practiced.
Ganduje added that he also updated the president on the blasphemy case in Kano.
He explained the house of the father of the accused was burnt by locals but the boy was secured, charged to court and sentenced to death.
He said the boy can and has appealed the judgement.
Ganduje said President acknowledged and expressed happiness with hard copy of the report which he submitted and requested and he continue to provide security courage in the state. —