COVID -19: Kwara Govt Begins Registration Of Transporters For 20,000 Naira Loan

 

The Kwara State government has kick-started the biometric registration of transporters to receive soft loans to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.

According to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, not less than N100m would be dispensed as non-interest loan to 20,000 transporters after the enumeration that is going on across the state under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme. 

He stated that the components of the programme include conditional cash transfer for the aged (Owo Arugbo), market moni for petty traders, and K-power which targets the youths and unskilled segments of the society.  

As contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the Governor flagged off the enumeration exercise for the transporters at Government Secondary School Maraba in Ilorin, the state capital. 

The Governor said the beneficiaries of the loan, who might get between N5,000 and N10,000, are to refund the money in trickles long after the COVID-19 crisis is over. 

He added that the exercise offers the government an opportunity to get accurate data of people in the informal sector for proper planning. 

AbdulRazaq said the programme is going on simultaneously with other components of the KWASSIP to lessen the impact of the economic downturn on the people.

“We're happy to be here to fulfil our promise of having some form of safety net (for the poor). This is about carrying everybody along and leaving no one behind,” the Governor said.

“This programme for Okada riders and other transport workers was not originally part of the programme. It was meant to be at the back end of the programme but we quickly activated it because of the impacts of COVID-19 and the stay at home order on businesses and the poor."

"That is why we decided to enumerate them and give them aid to survive under the lockdown. This will also be extended to other segments of the economy. We have to drive our economy. Various programmes are going on. We have over road constructions which will be inaugurated by 29th of May. We have school rehabilitation programmes ongoing. So, essential work will go on. We have also allowed our farmers to go to their farms. So, we are not allowing the economy to grind to a halt," the statement read in parts. 

Extension of lockdown 

However, Mr AbdulRazaq  announced the extension of the lockdown of the state by another 14 days to flatten the curve of transmission of the virus. This he said "in accordance with the position of the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum."

He noted that Kwara recorded two new cases of COVID-19 early Thursday, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 11. 

The Governor further explained that the two new cases are contacts of the previously confirmed cases. 

This paper had reported that the two index cases in the state are UK returnees. 

“The lockdown for another two weeks is to reduce the number of cases. As you can see, Kano is going up, Lagos is going up. Even in Kwara, we have two more new cases. So, there is need for boundaries to lockdown. Essentially, each state has different policies on lockdown but we want to ensure that people are not moved across boundaries to transmit the virus.”

He said the internal restrictions of vehicular movements in the state remain in force while the government steps up measures to gradually lift the restrictions and rejuvenate the economy, including mandatory use of face masks which would soon be distributed.

Apart from registered farmers, petrol stations, hospitals and pharmacies, the government had earlier exempted vehicles carrying foods and drugs and essential workers such as health workers and journalists from the restriction order. 

As at the time of filing this report, the state has recorded a total of eleven COVID-19 cases while two have recovered and have been discharged.