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COVID-19: Northern govs to buy mobile test vans, deploy more local security to enforce border closure

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Simon-Lalong

The Northern Governors Forum on Friday, had another teleconference meeting on how to tackle COVID-19 in the region.

During the meeting chaired by the forum’s Chairman, the governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, the governors resolved among other things, to purchase COVID-19 mobile test vans.

Also disturbed by the movement of persons despite a ban on inter-state travels, the forum resolved to employ more community strategy to man state borders.

The forum had during a recent meeting harped on the need for the Federal Government to pay more attention to the region, in terms of providing it with more COVID-19 testing centres among others.

During their Friday meeting, they acknowledged there had been improvements, but said the intervention by the Federal Government was still a far cry in respect to the region’s population and increase in COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, they applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his quick intervention in Kano State following the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections recently.

On how the region can help itself in terms of testing for the virus, the governors resolved to purchase mobile testing vans to facilitate testing in the rural areas.

Coming to the issue of inter-state border closure, the governors regretted that borders in the region were still being compromised and more illegal routes being created, amid measures against movements.

Consequently, the forum resolved to close all their borders from 6pm to 7am to all trucks carrying goods, which often are also used to transport people across the borders.

They further said they would increase the use of vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch, and traditional rulers in enforcing the border closures.

Equally discussed by the forum, was the profiling and return of Almajiris to their states of origin.

They insisted that Almajiris sent from one dtate to another had to be profiled, tested and accompanied by state officials and their Alaramas (teachers) to facilitate the process of settling in.

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During the meeting also, the forum was briefed on the post-COVID-19 Economic Blueprint for Northern Region by the chairman of the committee, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

Bagudu told the governors that the document was being developed and would soon be presented to the Forum.

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