COVID-19 Shuts Niger Assembly, Speaker Wuse, Clerk Test Positive

The Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Bawa Wuse and the Clerk, Mohammed Kagara, have gone into isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, confirmed the development to newsmen Sunday night in Minna.

Idris who did not give more details on the issue, simply said that ‘it was true’.

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

He 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.

“Unfortunately, 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.

All schools in the state closed since Friday.