From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
Kano state Executive Council has directed civil servants to stay off office for 14 days as from Wednesday, March 25 as part of efforts to safeguard the lives of the people of the state and prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus to the state.
A statement signed by the commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba on the outcome of the special session of the council meeting held at the Africa House, Government House, however, said that essential service workers to be identified by the government are exempted from the stay at home order.
The commissioner explained that the council approved the measures to ensure prevention and contain the spread of the virus through contacts at government offices across the state.
Malam Garba said that while the state is yet to record a single case of the deadly disease, as part of measures to curtail the spread of the virus, the council has from Wednesday, banned the inflow of large capacity buses into the state.
He said this was in consideration of the risk involved in the mode of operations of the buses that involves stuffing of passengers and the unorderly sitting arrangement in the buses.
The state government, the statement added, is working tirelessly to ensure the virus do not find its way to the state and if it does, the government is prepared to control and manage it.
The commissioner urged residents to ensure adherence to health instructions released by the Federal and the state’s Ministry of Health on how to prevent the disease as well as ensure personal hygiene.
Other resolutions of the council include the release of N21, 410, 000.00 million and N17, 114, 000.00 million for the conduct of 2020 Interim Joint Matriculation Examination at the College of Education and Preliminary Studies and Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso College of Arts and Remedial Studies respectively.
He said the council also approved the sum of N15, 561, 200.00 million and N11, 440, 800.00 for the year 2020 NECO and 2020 NABTED Examinations in respect of qualified candidates all from College of Science and Technical Schools Board.
Malam Garba also announced that the council has approved the release of N10, 189, 897 million for the payment of compensation in respect of demolished service station at Kano Line Terminus belonging to Messrs Equatorial Petroleum Coastal and Process Limited affected by the construction of State Road/Kofar Nassarawa Flyover.
