Desmond Mgboh, Kano
As a way of fine-tuning the recently extended lockdown by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by another two weeks, the Kano State Government has released operational guidelines for the controlled easing of the pandemic-induced restriction.
Kano Commissioner for Information Malam Muhammad Garba, who made the disclosure in a statement on Tuesday morning, said the government is fully aware of the difficult but necessary hardship people have to pass through which informed the need for controlled enforcement.
He said after a series of meetings with key health experts, the Ulama and other stakeholders, the state government adopted some measures that will further bring relief to the populace, with the partial lift on the lockdown on three days – Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays – between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, with a total relief of 12 hours per week as earlier recommended by the Presidential Task Force.
Malam Garba said Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has directed the state Hisbah Board to meet with Imams and deploy its personnel to Friday Jumu’at mosques across the state to ensure that worshipers comply with personal hygiene through maintaining social distancing, handwashing with soap, use of hand sanitsers and face masks.
The commissioner further said that government considers it convenient to allow the conduct of Eid prayers on Sallah day in all five Emirates of state, with the restriction on movement lifted from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm under strict observance of safety and preventative protocols.
He said, however, that there will be no Sallah festivities in all the Emirates including the visit to Gidan Shettima, Hawan Daushe, Hawan Nassarawa, and Hawan Dorayi in Kano and all other similar traditional Sallah celebrations in the four other Emirates.
The statement also announced the formation of a committee on the distribution of face masks and sanitation materials to Jumu’at mosques to be chaired by Commissioner for Environment Dr Kabir Ibrahim Getso.
Other members of the committee are Hon Commissioners for Local Government, Religious Affairs and Information, Prof Ibrahim Mu’azzam Maibushra, Prof Muhammad Tabi’u, Dr Awwalu Kawu, Engr Sa’idu Muhammad, Sarkin Yarabawa, Oba Abdullahi Salihu Olowo, Dr Bala Muhammad, State ALGON Chairman, Managing Directors of REMASAB and KAROTA, Commander General, Hisbah Board and its Chairman, Sheikh Shehi Maihula. The ethnic nationalities in the state will also constitute a similar committee to ensure the distribution of sanitation materials and the observance of COVID-19 protocols in their various churches.
