18 NYSC Members Test Positive to COVID-19 in Niger

•State suspends exco to honour late DIG Aliyu

Laleye Dipo

No fewer than 18 members of the National Youth Service Corps deployed to Niger State have reportedly tested positive to Covid-19.

The positive status of the Corps members was confirmed during a routine tests by the state COVID-19 Task Force Committee at their Paiko Orientation Camp.

In another breath, the state has suspended its weekly state executive council meeting in honour of the senator, who represented Niger North senatorial district between 1999 and2007, DIG Nuhu Aliyu, who passed on Wednesday morning.

Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris, who disclosed the developments while briefing newsmen in Minna said the concerned corps members have been isolated for “proper medication”

As a result of the incident, Idris said the state has resuscitated the COVID-19 Task force committee as an “immediate action to curtail the spread of the disease”, adding that the task force would embark on massive sensitization of the people on the disease and the need for them to adhere to the guidelines such as wearing of face masks, washing of hands and keeping physical distancing among others.

Idirs explained that with immediate effect, the government has directed that henceforth staff and visitors to the state secretariat, ministries, departments and parastatals, must use their facemask or be refused entry into the offices.

“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Niger State has ordered that from today, nobody should be allowed access into public offices without wearing facemasks, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Parastatals, have been informed to take charge and provide hand washing items for their staff.

“These also include the Government House, State House of Assembly complex, Secretariat. They are to ensure nobody enters these areas without a facemask as sensitisation continues. To the best of our ability, we will ensure the Covid-19 protocols are observed,” Idris said.

On the suspension of state executive council meeting to honour Aliyu, PDP’s first chairman in the state and a retired police officer, who was buried in Kaduna according to Islamic injunction on Wednesday afternoon, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, in a condolence message, described the deceased as “an accomplished elder statesman, who dedicated most part of his life to service to humanity” adding that the death of Aliyu “is a great loss not only to the state but the country at large”.

According to the message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje, the governor said, “It is sad to hear the news of the death of a great man, who was committed to service to the nation in different capacities and was a father to many. We, however, cannot question the acts of Allah”.