Ganduje relaxes lockdown imposed by Buhari, gives 12-hour movement grace

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the governor of Kano state, has announced the relaxation of lockdown order imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari, on April 27, imposed a total lockdown on the state to allow health officials to monitor the situation in the state.

Ganduje told journalists on Saturday that there would be free movement in the state on Mondays and Thursdays between 10am and 4pm.

In a briefing that held at the government house, he said all the major markets in the state would remain closed, except Ya’nkaba and Ya’nlemo markets where vegetables and fruits are sold.

Ganduje further stated that all supermarkets in the state are allowed to operate within the six-hour timeframe, adding that customers must follow the COVID-19 protocols before they enter the places.

“We have provided face masks, to be distributed to the people. I directed chairmen of the local government to also provide the face masks for their people. Afterwards, we will make it compulsory for everybody to wear it,” he said.

He also expressed hope that with the increase in testing centres, the state would stamp out the pandemic.

He also announced that Aliko Dangote had donated mobile testing centres with capacity of testing 400 samples in a day and 1000 sample in a week.

“The more we are getting the test, the more people who contracted the virus would be exposed and the more we stamp out the disease in our state.

“What we just want is for the public to adhere strictly to the protocols of the COVID-19 and abide by the lockdown order in order to break the chain of the transmission,”

The governor also assured the public that the more they abide by the lockdown order, the more the state government would relax the directive.

Ganduje had earlier appealed to the federal government to relax the lockdown saying it is important to ease the hardship in the state, especially in the holy month of Ramadan.