The Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje has called on traders to ensure that they strictly adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to avoid a fresh lockdown of markets in the State.
The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Nasiru Gawuna at a COVID-19 stakeholders’ meeting with market community leaders at the government house, warned that the second wave of the pandemic was worse than the first and the people should learn their lessons in curbing the spread.
“We all know that it is the marketers that suffer most whenever there is a lockdown, especially those who have to work to feed on daily bases.
“Therefore, we need to enlighten and sensitize the market people to make them understand that they need to take responsibility and observe the necessary COVID-19 protocols to avoid the spread of the pandemic in the State and to avoid a situation that will necessitate the lockdown again.
“We don’t pray for another lockdown and so we have to sit up in the fight against the pandemic.
“We should use the facemask, observe the necessary hygiene by washing our hands and adhering to spacing as required,” the Governor stated.
Ganduje also promised to contribute 100,000 facemasks to the market community, while he called on them to also produce them and distribute them to those in the market.
He also said that the state had produced two million facemasks to be distributed to various sectors in the State.
“We should wear our facemasks, wash our hands regularly and avoid crowding by observing spacing. As market people you can even customize the facemask and paste your logo design on it to advertise your products.
“The federal government is working on the issue of the vaccine of COVID 19. If the committee in charge fulfils and confirms the vaccine it will be implemented accordingly.
“We have defeated polio in the past which also came with a lot of theories that later turned out to be untrue. For six months now Nigeria had been declared polio-free.
“So with the same vigour, we should also fight the COVID 19 pandemic to a standstill.
“This pandemic is real and we have to seriously fight it. There was a house where the breadwinner died of COVID 19 recently and when the family members were tested, 19 of them were found to be positive,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the market community, the chairman of the Car Sellers Association in Kano, Danladi Ketawa praised the government’s effort in fighting the pandemic with seriousness.
He called on the markers to support the effort to avoid a situation that will lead to their markets being closed.
“We praise the efforts by the state government and its efficiency in the fight against COVID 19 pandemic.
“These sensitization sessions are very important to us because it is through enlightenment that we can save any situation that will lead to lockdown and affect our markets. We all are aware of how hard we had it in the first wave of the pandemic and we don’t pray to see that situation again.
“My call to our people is that it is incumbent on us to support the government’s efforts and obey the COVID-19 protocols,” he declared.
Audu Ladio, who leads the Kantin Kwari Textile market declared that they will take the necessary steps to ensure adherence to the COVID-19 protocols in order to avoid experiencing the past situation that put their markets under lock.
“We will take it upon ourselves to ensure that the COVID-19 protocols are strictly adhered to in the market premises to avoid facing the lockdown situation and subsequent closure of the markets. We all know what that means,” he said.
PIAK
