The Kano State Governor, Dr. Umar Ganduje has inaugurated COVID-19 Marshals in an effort to further to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the state,
The Marshals, numbering 2,000, comprising of 1,000 Hisbah officials and 1,000 health workers have been engaged to assist security agents in the enforcement and persuasion of people to obey strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.
Governor Ganduje at the formal launch of the marshals, held at the government house Kano said the they have been given marching orders to educate and enforce the Covid-19 protocols of washing of hands, social distancing and wearing of face masks.
“The Covid-19 Marshals will assist us along with security agencies to educate, inform members of the public and also assist in purnishing those who will disobey the Covid-19 protocols,” said Ganduje.
He admonished the Marshals not harrass people while carrying out their responsibilities.
He said most of the Marshals are professionals and graduates of health institutions, expressing optimism that they will put in their best.
He reiterated that the Covid-19 Pandemic is back and people are dying in the state, as such all hands must be on deck to curtail the spread of the disease.
He said as part of the strategy, the Kano state government had earlier engaged all critical stakeholders, such as security agencies, traditional rulers, ulamas, media, medical practitioners, traders, students, teachers and heads of institutions among other
Ganduje said the state is not thinking of locking down despite rising cases of the disease in its second wave but people must do everything to protect themselves and others.
“Despite the fears and the rising cases, we are not thinking of looking down the state but we most do everything to fight the disease,” reemphasized Governor Ganduje.
Ganduje added that his administration had put up robust plans in combatting the pandemic in the state, such as setting up of isolation centres, testing laboratories, sample collection centres, among others.
The Secretary to the Kano state government Usman Alhaji said the fight against Covid-19 is not for the government alone but everybody’s responsibility for the state to get it right.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the Covid-19 Marshals inaugurated in the state is the first of its kind in Nigeria and they were carefully selected to enforce the protocols by working in tandem with security operatives.
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