Over 2000 almajiri evacuated to Kano from other northern states have been quarantined in the three centres established by the state government.
The quarantined almajiri are to undergo Covid-19 test in order to determine their status before they are moved to their respective local governments for integration into the state’s free and compulsory basic education system.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who made this know on Thursday, said that the 200 health workers, recently trained by Kano State’s Rapid Response Team Committee, are to be assigned to the newly created centres where Almajiri returnees are been quarantined.
The governor disclosed that no amount of money will be enough to compensate for the service being rendered by health workers towards curtailing the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
“I am glad to inform you that our administration has established three centres in Kiru, Karaye and Gabasawa local governments where the two thousand almajiri received from other states are to be quarantined in order to know their status before handing them over to their parents.
“Almajirichi is a breeding ground and more vulnerable to Covid-19 pandemic. As we all know the children in the Almajiri usually move freely with no good shelter, hygiene, and without any tangible effort take care of them when there’s any emergency.
“During the period when they will be in at the centre, they will be tested in order to determine their Covid-19 status, before they are moved to their respective local governments for integration into our free and compulsory basic education system”, Governor Ganduje stated
He explained that data in possession of his administration indicate that there are three types of Almajiri in Kano state, noting that the first group are those Almajiri belonging to other states of the federation, while the second group are Almajiri who are indigenes of Kano state, and the third set are those whom no one knows where they come from.
“We have already banned begging and all schools are closed; these Almajiris constitute hazards and they are abreeding ground for Coronavirus. Because they stay in a congested environment, they have no defined place for them to sleep, no prescribed food for them to eat, no provision for sanitation and therefore they are vulnerable.
“We decided to examine all the Almajiris in Kano state. Our intention is to protect them and those who are negative we take them back to their parents, back to their states to ensure that they are free from coronavirus. Those who are positive, we are not going to take them back to their states of origin. We are putting them in isolation centres until they are cured and are confirmed negative. Then we take them to their respective states in a good condition with certification from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control” he further stated.
In his address at the occasion, Tijjani Husain, the chairman of state rapid response on Covid-19, said they had carefully selected healthcare workers who are undergoing the training to manage the newly created centres in order to get rid of the pandemic that has already reached community transmission in the state.
