Kwara Assembly resumes plenary today

– Kano faults viral video on Dangote isolation centre

Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA) resumes plenary today after about three months of forced recess occasioned by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The clerk, Hajia Halimat Kperogi, stated this yesterday.

Already, the leadership of the house has put in place measures to enhance hygiene as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to flatten the curve of infection in the public space.

Even with 24 members, the legislative chamber has a sitting capacity for about 80 legislators and support staff; so there would be no problem of physical distancing.

Besides, only staff members on essential duties are to resume work, as the state gradually eases the lockdown. It is not yet clear if the public would be allowed into the chamber during plenary.

A director in the Assembly said under condition of anonymity that the resumption was imperative to clear the backlog of legislative issues that could hinder the flow of governance.

Meanwhile, Kano State government has faulted a video clip on social media that shows an empty isolation centre at Sani Abacha Stadium.

The two minutes, 20 seconds clip released on Twitter by @segalink depicted empty space at the centre donated by Dangote Foundation, putting a lie to cases of COVID-19 in Kano.

“This is the isolation centre in Kano; nobody is inside. Today is May 24, Sallah day, and everywhere is empty. Where are the people in isolation? They said we have 800 plus COVID-19 patients is Kano; where are the people here? This COVID-19 is a lie,” a voice-over on the video clip says.

But the Commissioner for Sports, Kabiru Lapai, told journalists at the centre that the claims in the video clip were baseless.

Kabiru, who is also a member of the implementation committee of the Dangote treatment centre, insisted that the project was under construction and had never received any patient.

He explained that the project was scaled down because of change from the initial 500-bed design to 200-bed spaces with additional facilities.

A representative of Dangote Foundation, Sani Ahmad, declined comment on the issue, insisting that he was not authorised to speak to journalists on the matter.

The Guardian gathered that the state has five isolation centres with over 600 beds, besides the one at Sani Abacha Stadium.