Northern governors worried over rising COVID-19 cases

Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has expressed concern over the persistent increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region.

The forum said that northern Nigeria now has about 54% of the national cases and 70 percent of new infections compared to the southern part of the country.

The NGF expressed the concern on Wednesday during its 4th teleconference meeting to review the region’s COVID-19 response and deliberated on other matters relating to its progress and developments.

The forum’s chairman and Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong, who presided over the meeting, also said: “The NGF has acknowledged and appreciated the intervention of the federal government following their request to President Muhammadu Buhari for the deployment of more security personnel to the region to tackle banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and other crimes which are threatening livelihoods and preventing farmers from going to their farms”.

READ: COVID-19: Bauchi relaxes lockdown, lifts ban on religious gathering

On the profiling and evacuation of almajirai, the Forum noted that so far, there had been appreciable progress as many states have already transferred almajirai to their home states without any problem.

He said the state governments would continue with the exercise by strictly following laid down protocols for profiling, quarantining, testing, transportation, handing and taking over as well as reintegration.

READ: Kano issues protocols for Eid, Friday prayers

The governors also maintained their earlier decision to purchase COVID-19 mobile testing vans, which have already been ordered to boost the testing of more citizens, especially in rural areas.

On enforcing the closure of inter-state boundary roads, the forum expressed disappointment that despite several measures taken, including presidential orders, there were still violations where people moved from one state to another through compromise and use of illegal routes, vowing to continue to take further measures.