COVID-19: Niger Assembly Speaker, Clerk test positive, gone into isolation

By Salamatu Musa

The Speaker, Niger state House of Assembly, Hon. Bawa Wuse and the Clerk, Mohammed Kagara, have gone into isolation after testing positive for coronavirus.

This development was disclosed to journalists on Sunday night by the state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed Idris in Minna.
The Commissioner, however did not give details on the issue, but simply confirmed that it is true that the two lawmakers went on isolation after infected by coronavirus.

Also, Alhaji Haruna Baba, member representing Bida 11, at the State House of Assembly confirmed the development.

Baba explained that two weeks ago, the member representing Gurara, Binta Mamman, tested positive, which made the entire legislators and staff of the assembly to undergo testing for COVID-19.

“It was unfortunate that the results of the speaker and that of clerk turned out positive,” he said.

He said that all the lawmakers and principal staff have gone into self isolation.

Another source at the assembly, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists that many of the test carried out on the lawmakers returned negative, except that of the Speaker and the Clerk.

The source confirmed that the two of them are responding positively to treatment.

Governor Sani Bello last week ordered workers to stay at home from Monday to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

Bello also ordered the closure of all schools in the state since Friday.