The Nasarawa State Government has converted the hostel of the Almajiri School in Lafia to a 300-bed isolation centre, in a bid to combat the spread of Coronavirus.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule said this on Tuesday in Lafia while hosting officials of the Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA) who paid him a courtesy call.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Almajiri school, which was build by the Federal Government, was housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Taraba State since 2013.
The governor said work had already commenced on the conversion of the hostels into a 300-bed isolation centre.
Sule said that the state was yet to record any case of COVID-19.
“Though the state have not recorded any case of COVID-19, but there is every need to prepare for any eventuality, especially with the state’s proximity to Abuja, which has continued to record more cases,” he said.
The governor said that the state government would continue to give priority to the health, security and welfare of the people.
“Yesterday, we started our work on the 300-bed isolation centre that we are opening in Shabu.
“We are trying to pray for the best, but to prepare for the worst. That is our situation in Nasarawa State.
“We are trying to ensure that the only way we can protect our people is by preparing for any eventuality, while praying that that eventuality will not come,” he said.
The governor said that he had interacted with the FCT Minister, head of the military, as well as the Chairman, Federal Government Committee on COVID-19, aimed at improved level of security at the border area in Nyanya.
He said that federal government planned to distribute food packs to over 4000 households across the state, under the Federal Government School Feeding programme.
“The Federal Government has already concluded arrangement to send beans, rice and other items, in a pack, that will be distributed to over 4000 households in the state.
“What we are doing at the moment is the logistics and the support to make sure that all those food items will go door-to-door, to every benefiting household,” Sule said.
The governor said that the state government have started distributing water to people in Karu LGA who are facing water supply challenges due to 24 hour curfew.
Earlier, NASSA President, Mr Faruk Tunga, said that they were at the Government House to make their donation in support of government’s fight against the spread of COVID-19.
The NASSA announced a total donation of N200, 000 worth of precautionary gears, as well as N100, 000 cash. (NAN)