…Vows To Demolish Any Place of Worship That Opens
Gov el-Rufai
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has extended the quarantine orders being enforced in the state for another 30 days, while it directed it senior political appointees to donated N500,000 each in April towards the Covid-19 purse.
The governor’s decision to extend the lockdown, according to Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Media Adviser to the governor, follows a recommendation to that effect by the State Standing Committee on Covid-19, which is chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe.
He said the order takes effect from Sunday, April 26.
According to him, the committee’s recommendation followed rising Covid-19 cases in neighbouring states and the FCT, and with strong evidence of interstate travel being a major means of spreading the virus.
In endorsing the recommendations, governor El-Rufai also reduced the two-day window during which the restriction of movement is relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to only one day, Wednesdays.
He said, “All persons that venture out of their homes for whatever reason must wear face masks and observe social distancing everywhere they go, in markets and in authorised vehicles. Government is making efforts to provide face masks for poor and vulnerable residents, and it appeals to everyone that can afford it to get their tailors to make them cloth face masks which they can wash after every use. The government also encourages tailors to produce face masks for sale to those that are neither poor nor vulnerable.”
“Wearing of face masks will be robustly enforced as a critical public health measure to reduce person-person transmission.
The state government said that the measures announced on 26th March 2020, to contain Covid-19 remain in force and have been renewed. These were imposed in exercise of the powers vested in the Governor by Section 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, (as amended), Sections 2 and 8 of the Quarantine Act 1926, now known as CAP Q2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and the Public Health Law of 1917.”
He said entry or passage through Kaduna is banned during the quarantine period, except operational trailers and trucks conveying food, fertilizers, medical products just as salaries would be slashed by 50 per cent during the period.
Regarding burials, guidelines from the Ministry of Health will outline the maximum number of persons th
On salary adjustment, he said, “the Kaduna State Government has directed all its senior appointees, including Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Special Advisers and Heads of Agencies to each donate N500,000 in April 2020. In subsequent months, they will donate 50% of their salaries until the quarantine ends. Other categories of political appointees will also be making monthly donations to support the provision of relief to the low income, poor and vulnerable residents of the state.
“Career public servants earning a net pay of N67,000 and above after tax will also donate 25% of their pay monthly whilst the quarantine conditions are in place. No public servant will have less N50,000 monthly to manage in this emergency period.
“We are obliged to demonstrate that as government workers, we care enough for others to donate part of our earnings for their wellbeing. As a state government, we are also seeking donations from high net worth individuals, the private sector and development partners to support our efforts to contain Covid-19 and its consequences.
