. Records 13 new cases of COVID-19
By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
The Niger State government has mapped out plans to beautify and make the Gurara Water Falls and the Shagunu tourist sites attractive for revenue generation.
This is part of the government’s measures to diversify the state economy with the intent of improving state finances.
The Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Rifkatu Adamu Chidawa, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the week’s State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at Government House.
Mrs. Rifkatu said that a South African investor has indicated interest to partner Niger State government for the development of the sites through Public Private Partnership (PPP), which will be managed under Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
The consultant, she said, would give the models of Gurara falls while 10,000 hectares of land had been acquired around Gurara falls and payment of compensation is ongoing for the host communities around the water fall.
The commissioner further hinted that already, protective rail had been constructed to enhance easy movements and as well guarantee safety of tourists while recreational centers will be created for the proposed zoo or wild life park.
“The consultant is working on the beautification of Shagunu tourism site which we see as a finger on the Niger”, the commissioner pointed out, adding that access road has been constructed to ease transportation through the affected sites.
“All the tourist sites have been electrified and we also have bill boards erected for easy identification of the sites”, the commissioner explained, while as applauding Governor Abubakar Sani Bello in evolving alternative source of revenue generation.
Meanwhile, a five-year-old child from Chanchaga Local Government Area (Minna metropolis) and two others aged eight and 15 years, are among the latest victims that tested positive to Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Niger State.
The new cases surfaced barely two weeks after the state government formally relaxed from between 10pm to 4am restriction of movements across the state and as well ban on commercial motorcycles operations.
The new cases, which were the highest daily confirmed since the spread of the disease, were contained in the official information/ report released by the Niger State Taskforce on Covid-19 titled, “Covid-19: Niger State perspective 118, the state now has 79 confirmed cases”.
The five-year-old boy is the 77th confirmed case of Coronavirus in Niger State while the eight-year victim is girl, the report indicates, adding however that all the 13 new cases are from Chanchaga Local government area and five out of the 13 are females.
“The 76th confirmed case is a 56-year-old man from Chanchaga. He died after exhibiting all the symptoms of COVID-19. It became severe and his sample taken but died before the results came back and turned out positive making the deceased probably confirmed case and 76th in the state”.
Chairman of Niger State Covid-19 Taskforce and Secretary to State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ibrabim Matane, has however assured of the determination of the Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello-led administration to control the spread of the pandemic to other parts of the state.